Rehi Folks!  Well, John is on his way back home now but I must say our visit
to the zoo on Friday was so much fun!  It's amazing how the big cats are so
much like our little feline friends :)  I'm sorry to say I forgot to bring
along my camera.

I saw a female lion doing her best upside-downy-head.  AWWWW!  One leopard
was just hanging out on a tree limb, legs dangling down, in a position that
for anything but a cat would be very uncomfortable!  The tigers were engaged
in a vigorous mutal grooming session.  Reminded me of Miranda and Caliban :)

There were lots of other fun animals to visit, of course.  The female
gorilla was splayed out like a model for Playboy (or Kate Winslett from
Titanic - you slut! LOL)

The penguins were getting a break from the heat, swimming in formation that
would put Ester Williams water ballet to shame.  Except for one little
penguin, he/she was off by him/herself and I commented to John "Awww, it's
like the kid on the playground no one wants to play with."  But maybe it
liked it that way.  I dunno. <shrug>

In an exhibit called 'Animals of the Night', the zookeeper was in the Wombat
enclosure giving him (?) some food and cleaning up.  For those who don't
know what these creatures look like, they're like giant guinea pigs.  Say, a
25 lb. guinea pig LOL  She was giving him scritches!  We laughed at that.
And they played chase all around the enclosure, it was almost like watching
someone play with a cat that had the zoomies.  The Wombat kept running after
her like a little dog.

Memphis has Giant Panda's on loan from China for another 5 years.  Ya Ya and
Le Le.  Ya Ya's enclosure was being cleaned so she was in a big (for lack of
a better word) kennel that is between the two enclosures.  The zookeeper
kept trying to get her to turn around for us to get a look at her face.  She
tossed pieces of bamboo over Ya Ya's head but Ya Ya was having none of it.
She wanted her head scratched between the ears instead. <G>  Le Le's
enclosure had been cleaned and he was having lunch.  Oh boy, bamboo! LOL
It's the only thing they eat and it's growing all over the zoo for that
reason.  They each eat at least 20 lbs. of bamboo a day.  He was chowing
down.

What funny creatures, the Pandas.  When they reach maturity the plan is to
put them together and see if they make little Pandas.  If they manage it the
Memphis zoo will get to keep one of the cubs.

Oh, and if anyone ever saw Jurassic Park 3... the pterodactyl aviary?  The
Bald Eagle used to be housed in one of those.  Last time I saw him he was
sitting on a tree limb at the top of a huge cage like that.  Now they've
moved him to a nice lush enclosure with lots of greenery and a running
waterfall.  So I'm standing there looking up, where on earth is the Eagle?
I happened to glance down.  Oh!  There you are!  LOL  It was on the ground
peering at me between some foliage the whole time.  I wish they'd get him a
mate.  Bald Eagles nest not to far from Memphis at Reelfoot Lake.  Surely
he'd like a companion?

Jill