Let's go right now let's go to the zoo!

[Ryan H.]

Yay my first field trip since I was in the second grade, what ownage. Hailey's class got to go to the zoo and asked parents to help chaperone. I'm not a parent, just Dawn's boyfriend, but I was allowed to chaperone little Hailey after passing a background test (yay I'm not an axe murderer). I was surprised she asked me to go, but there was no way I could say no; see second to last pic as proof. Anyway, everyone met up in her second grade classroom at 8:30, then we all headed out en masse to the San Francisco Zoo.

Things started out great when I realized that the super nice digital camera that my forum's mods bought me for Christmas was chilling back in Oakland, and I had to trudge to the gift shop to spend $15 on a piece of disposable crap. So, please forgive the picture quality.

Also, the San Fran zoo SUCKS, and sucks ROYALLY, at least right now. It seemed like half the exhibits were closed, being remodeled, or just mysteriously absent. They also have no elephants, and apparently their one hippo is INVISIBLE, since after checking the hippo habitat and finding nothing, I was told by an employee that it is most definitely there, perhaps in the water. The habitat it's supposed to be in is about the size of a bathtub and the 'pool' is about the size of a kitchen sink. I'd promised Hailey all day that we'd get to see the hippos, damn San Fran zoo, grr....

Anyway, with the pics and whatnot.

The African Savannah exhibit, and about the only one worthwhile. If you look closely it seems like one of the pelicans is chilling on the zebra's ass, but it's actually on a rock behind it:



It's kinda hard to see because the lemurs just weren't very active today, but yes their habitat is awesome:




These penguins looked pretty pissed at being in a semi arid climate, at least in person:



This frisky critter was close enough to touch, and if I hadn't told Hailey not to she likely would have tried:




This tiger dislocated her elbow when she was 7 months old, now she kinda walks like me before I had my hips replaced:




Mountain tapirs are pretty goofy looking, and before today I didn't know what the hell they were:




This chimpanzee was a little photo shy, as soon as I whipped out the camera, it started pulling that blanket over its head. Perhaps it was frightened off by the ugliness of said camera:




Hailey after I bought her a stuffed blue gorilla from the gift shop to make up for the no hippos thing:




And the best picture of the day. All day Hailey was asking if she could use the camera, and I said no because I didn't want her wasting film. She kept on about it, and I asked if she even knew how to use a camera, and she said yes, so I let her take a picture of the seals. Enjoy:



If you're wondering where the pics of the lions, bears, hippos, elephants, crocodiles, etc. are, blame the San Fran zoo and the absolutely unforgiveable state it is in right now. I honestly think it should be shut down until all these renovations are complete.

[cAtDaFeLiX]

Well, for me and Zoo's, it's a 50/50 chance that the animals are not in the "right" conditions. If it's a small pen or area that doesn't suit the animals in order to feel comfortable. The elephants at the Calgary Zoo have lived in this run down piece of shit indoor/mini (and I mean mini) outside place. Lucky, they are building a huge area (about time) and I'm not going to go back to the Zoo until they are in there.

The Calgary Zoo is one of the better Zoos I have seen, and they are really stepping up building the right areas and keeping the animals treated above expectations. I even worked at that Zoo one summer (Got paid crap, but you can't beat walking in the morning and seeing Peacocks just walking around like the pics you took is a good feeling.

I'm guess is that there should be a better law to have animals in the best conditions possible and people shouldn't go to Zoos if the animals are not in good condition and the area they live in is shit.

(Best pic was the flying seals ryan lol)

[Ryan H.]

Yeah, Cat, Hailey is an amazing photographer lol.

[Gabriel013]

I love the zoo. I'll see about posting some of the pics I took the last time Rosie and I went.

[Rosie17]

We are supposed to be going again before your special card runs out Gabe. xxx