Today is a bank holiday
(for those of you not in the UK, that's a public holiday), schools are on holiday, and the weather has been glorious, so it was inevitable that lots of people would take their children to the zoo to see the new gorilla enclosure. I thought I'd arrived quite early. I was driving
(through central London, haven't experienced that nightmare for ages) as the congestion charge
(toll for driving into central London Monday-Friday which US embassy officials call a tax and refuse to pay- grr!) doesn't apply on bank holidays. And as a Friend of London Zoo I'm entitled to free parking. But though I arrived before 11am the car park was full, there were still charges for parking on the street - £1.20 an hour and I had no change - and I was just about to go home when the car park attendant told me the next street over had free parking today. Miraculously I found a place. Luckily I did not then have to join the queue for entrance, which was two hours long! As a Friend I get to go straight in. And like the people, the animals were making the most of the gorgeous weather.
The zebra had crashed out.
The meerkats were sunbathing.
The otters fell asleep in a heap.
The Goeldi's Monkey was as cute as can be.
The tigers attracted a lot of attention, and seemed to love it.
Bobby the Gorilla tried desperately to get this door open.
A little while later it was obvious why - a keeper was getting food ready. She passed some through the mesh to Zaire.
She even has some grasped in her foot, as she needs a hand to hang on with.
The Komodo Dragon enjoyed basking.
The Okapi looked like velvet. I discovered they have a long black tongue like a giraffe's.
I have no idea how many people were in the zoo today. It isn't a very big site, and all the facilities were creaking under the strain. There must have been thousands. Next time I'll go on a day when the schools are in session - if I can just resist working every day of the week!
7 comments:
And Tess in Nebraska has 5" of snow!!!
Now Val do you not obey 'Golden Rule No.1' : 'Thou shalt stay home on Bank Holidays on account of it's pointless trying to get anywhere?' ;0)
Usually I do, Diane, but this was going to be my one chance ever of parking in the zoo car park without negating the saving by incurring the congestion charge. Just proves there's no such thing as a free lunch...
gorgeous pics from the Zoo, thinking of taking Charlie on Monday. Hopefully our lovely weather will last a bit longer, we not usually this lucky are we Val?
Debs
It's in the mid-70's here in WA, but my friends in New England are digging out from snow, and the Mariners are on a snow delay in Cleveland!
The okapi is so pretty!
Glad you had such a lovely day to visit the zoo. The tigers are incredible.
Love those zoo pics! Aren't the meerkats funny little creatures? Weather is great here in NorCal too. This summer I am going to Washington D.C.(and its zoo) again and I'm taking my long lens film camera this time (the one I use for sports photography).
Val, you've inspired me!
julie...
what a stellar day you had. beautiful pictures of such wonderful creatures.
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