Turtle at the Zoo

The weather has been so gorgeous this past week and I was itching to be outside, so yesterday I grabbed my camera and spent the morning at the Phoenix Zoo.

You cross a bridge to get to the entrance, and usually there are turtles sunning themselves on these boards. This day it was just ducks in a row.

I'll spare you the names of each of the species because, quite frankly, I don't remember, but this is some kind of vulture:

 How do I hate rodents so much, but love these little prairie dogs so much?

Doug says these are golden eagles:

Mexican wolf...

Breakfast time...

Here kitty, kitty, kitty...  {I wasn't real crazy about the way he was looking at me!}

Stinky number one:

Just some desert vegetation...

Monkeys are always my favorite, but these guys were boring:

Cool:

You can ride a camel if you want {been there, done that...}

This was a cool exhibit! You have to go through two doors to get into this area, and there are a total of 16 squirrel monkeys in the trees and on the ropes above and around you. I chatted with a zoo volunteer who told me that beads on their necks identify them (by name) to the zoo keepers. She had a spray bottle hanging off her belt that was to be used to squirt the monkeys in the event they come close to the zoo guests.

 It was so cool to be so close to them!

Ok, so I come out of the squirrel monkey exhibit and this gigantic bird comes flying over my head and lands on this dude's arm. Whoa! Cool! It's a king vulture and it was flying in a loop - going from the zoo keeper's arm, out and around the lake, and then back again. Of course, once I had my camera ready do you think he'd fly that loop again? Nope.

Desperate for a grandchild, I borrowed these for this photo. {yes, I asked their grown up first}

A random peacock just walking around...

Stinky number two:

And then there was this guy - a gorgeous jaguar who by nature is a ridiculous runner - all cooped up in this cage. :o( It made me sad, but I was pretty excited to be so close to this amazing creature.

eeeeeow!

Hello, friend... {with a really screwed up eye}

 Homosapiens - the most vile and disgusting creatures in the zoo {juuuust kidding!}

And speaking of disgusting... There are only two places I ever eat hotdogs - a baseball game, and the zoo. I had a hotdog for lunch and it was really yummy!!!

This was my view while I ate lunch:

After all those photos there's really no need for you to visit the Phoenix Zoo

unless you want a lovely walk in a beautiful setting with some gorgeous sunshine.

{And please take me with you if you go!}