San Diego Zoo - M to Z

M IS FOR:
Meerkat

Now we come to one of the highlights of the zoo for us, the meerkats. This bunch of characters were almost always moving - playing, fighting, rolling on top of one another, running through pipes and in and out of holes. I could watch them all day.

If you've watched the tv show Meerkat Manor, you'll know that usually at least one member of the family is on guard duty. Even here, where there are probably no predators to worry about, this fellow takes his lookout job seriously.

Monkey

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P IS FOR:

Panda

Giant Panda Bear

We went straight to the giant panda area because I'd heard it could get crowded. It looked like there was a railing for a snaking line-up so maybe we were lucky to be there with so few people around. The caretakers seemed protective of the pandas and encouraged people to be quiet. I believe the panda above was a young one. It didn't do much other than eat - chew away, stop and look at you, and go back to eating - but it was sure cute.

Cute, but according to one of the zoo's signs: "A giant panda's powerful jaws and huge molars grind and shred bamboo branches that would jam a wood-chipping machine."

Its mother came out later. Here she is walking off with a chunk of bamboo. We were told that she was taking part in a hearing test being done on all bears.

Parrot

A lorikeet? I'm not sure.

Peccary

Pig

Plant

I think this picture shows that it was hot and dry in the area of the zoo where the elephants are. We saw a rattlesnake, behind glass.

Polar Bear

Pronghorn

A rather gaunt specimen. The sign says pronghorns can run up to 40 mph but, by some accounts, they can run up to 60 mph and maintain speeds of 30-40 mph for long distances. I remember seeing them in N. or S. Dakota looking quite grand, romping off with their white rumps puffed up. Haven't seen any since. Pronghorns have hollow hair.

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R IS FOR:

Rhino

Asian Rhino

A worker was standing at the rhino pen with a water hose but the rhinos weren't there. She called them and they came over, like pet dogs! We were amazed. Glenn thought they were pretty ugly. I just think their heads look heavy to hold up. This type of rhino was near extinction not that long ago. Rhinos may look ponderous but they move fast when they want to! Most appropriately, a group of them can be called a 'crash'.

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S IS FOR:

Skyfari aerial tram

A great way of zipping across the park is by aerial tram. We rode it a couple of times.

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T IS FOR:

Takin

I'd never heard of a Takin in my life.

Tar Pits

A sign at this display reads: You've probably seen pictures of fossils being dug out of dirt. But fossils are also found in natural asphalt seeps, or "tar pits." These sticky ponds act like quicksand, trapping anything that falls in, preserving the remains. The most famous of these areas is the La Brea Tar Pits located in Los Angeles, California. Since 1906, more than a million bones have been recovered from these pits.

The skull was from some sort of bear. There was a mark on a wall showing its height. 10 feet? Whatever it was, it would have towered over us.

Tiger

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Z IS FOR:

Zebra

Grevy's Zebra

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We didn't cover the whole zoo by any means. I think you'd need an entire day; two would be better. We missed a lot of animals - snow leopards, camels, crocodiles, gorillas, etc., and a miniature train. If one had time, there are talks that would be interesting to attend such as: the Gerenuks Keeper Talk, Gorillas Keeper Talk, and Tigers Keeper Talk. Now we leave the zoo and head for a restaurant in Balboa Park.