#zoo090724

[thetigerham]

October 9, 2024

Body Dysmorphia

Copyright ©️ 2024 TheTigerHam. All rights reserved.

[thetigerham]

Tiger, lions, gray seals, sleepy cheetah

The tiger was pacing the shore in its enclosure.

The lions are so handsome.

A playful, twirling seal and a sleepy cheetah.

[thetigerham]

Komodo dragon, copperhead, mystery lizard, roseate spoonbill, and cows licking each other

After several attempts, I was able to capture the komodo dragon mid-blep:

A curious noodle.

I forget what kind of lizard this guy was, but he looked very peaceful snoozing in his enclosure.

Saw this guy in the Cuban crocodile enclosure...I wondered if he might be the zoo's alligator. Sometimes there is an alligator out in front of the reptile house but he hasn't been there the last few times I've visited the zoo. So I assume he is probably hanging out with one of the other crocodilians.

A roseate spoonbill (or an ice cream sample spoonbill bird, as I like to call them) in the Amazon house.

A moo moo delicately licking another moo moo near some llamas (alpacas?).

[thetigerham]

Meerkats, a few monkeys, gorillas, and orangutan

After photographing this distinguished gentleman, I learned a few cool meerkat facts:

The complexity of their communication (as described by the sign) was fascinating to me. Also, the guy I photographed was evidently on guard duty, not just posing.

I don't recall the names of these monkeys, but I liked their facial hair and the somewhat bemused expressions of the two sitting on the branch together.

Sadly I did not get great shots of the gorillas. The stars of the gorilla yard were a baby and (what everyone presumed was) a mother who were first sitting together, and then traveling around the yard together. At one point, the mother picked the baby up and put him on her back.

Orangutan.

[thetigerham]

Rhea, Sandhill Crane (with flamingos and ducks), Kori Bustards, Elephants, Opossum, and Armadillo

As I was walking around the bird house, I noticed this sandhill crane that appeared to be in jail. He was by himself in a staff-only area near the flamingo enclosure. A few flamingos and ducks were looking at him. When I went into the bird house, I told the staff in case he had wandered out of his own enclosure somehow -- but they told me that he has to be kept separate from the other sandhill cranes because he's been too aggressive lately or something.

These Kori Bustards were staring passerby down very aggressively.

Elephants!!!

Sleepy opossum

This armadillo (or accordion animal, as we like to call them in my family) was very speedy and difficult to photograph!

[thetigerham]

Smithsonian Zoo, September 2024 - Sloth bears, fishing cats, and otters

It was a beautiful, overcast, almost-chilly day at the zoo. Maybe because of the cooler weather, one of the sloth bears was out even though it was midday (they are crepuscular and therefore more active at dawn and dusk, apparently). They are one of my favorite animals at the Smithsonian zoo, so I felt extra lucky to see one out and about!

Another animal I don't often catch on the Asia Trail: the fishing cats were out in two different enclosures! I caught both of them mid-yawn as I was photographing them.

The otters are almost always visible (I say "almost always" but truly, I don't think there's ever been a time when I haven't seen them out) because they are social, playful little show-offs. I always enjoy watching them frolic. It seems like the otter life must be pretty good. Two fellow zoo-goers said as much as I filmed one of the otters rolling around and scrabbling comically in the air beneath the blue slide.

Person 1 [almost a little disgruntled]: What do they do day-to-day, just have fun? Person 2: What do they do? Probably prepare spreadsheets and stuff.

That gave me a little chuckle while I was filming the otters.