We have been avoiding the zoo (along with many other outdoor places) because of the extremely hot temperatures. I realized this past Friday that today was the last day for the dinosaur exhibit which we had still not been to see. Kevin and I decided that we would go after church and just brave the warm weather. Ava always wants to take a picture with one of the animals at the entrance and today her animal of choice was the elephant.
My mom met us up there and she and Ava snuggled throughout lunch.
This guy had us thoroughly entertained as we ate.
We finished our lunch just in time to walk over and feed the giraffes. The giraffe Ava fed is named Marilyn and she was very sweet. They were so close and it was very hard to resist petting them. That is against the rules though so I restrained myself. :)
Afterward, we washed off the "giraffe slime" as Ava affectionately called it and made our way to the dinosaur exhibit.
Working on the dinosaur puzzle
The crocodiles were so still, they looked like statues. If not for the "Yes, we are alive!" posters all over the exhibit, I may have wondered.
Such a rough life!
Helping "train" the sea lions during the show
We had to hunt to find Haley, the polar bear. We found her snoozing by the air conditioning unit.
She woke up and stretched a little and then back to sleep.
We visited the elephants
and took advantage of the misters that were placed all around the zoo. Poor Ava--I've got to take her to get her glasses adjusted so they won't be sliding down her nose all the time!
This orangutan is trying so hard to beat the heat!
And this monkey is just plain mad about the high temps!
My favorite animals to photograph at the zoo are the tigers. I think they are so beautiful and regal. We got a treat today because one of the tigers was having a great time swimming and playing in the water. So fun to watch!
He kept stalking his ball and pouncing.
There weren't many meerkats hanging out in the heat and they just looked worn out.
Even the sentry was slumped down and looking complacent. I'm sure he was thinking,"I mean, really, we're in an exhibit at the zoo. How much danger can we possibly be in? I've been keeping watch for 10 years now and nothing has ever happened. I'm sure it would be just fine if I just took a quick, little nap."
Unlike the meerkats, the cheetah was very alert
as were the hippos.
Ava decided she wanted to end our visit by cooling down in the geyser at Teton Trek.
It was warm but the temps weren't as bad as they have been so we are glad we ventured out to the zoo. We had a great time!
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