October Zoo

 As the weather seemed likely to be pleasant and the school holiday crowds not there we decided a visit to the Zoo was in order.  My plan was to begin with a visit to seen the Quokka joey.  Unfortunately its Mum had it hidden away in a shelter box so we couldn't see it.  No biggie, on to the Hamadryas Baboons (by chance rather than a cunning plan.

A somewhat colourful male was sitting in front of the viewing window.

A more distant group.  

Grooming time: I was amused that anything interesting found was eaten by the groomer.

It was interesting that groups of Baboons paraded past the view-window to the delight of the line of  kids pressed against the outside.  The Baboons looked across at their viewers. leading us to conclude this was a deliberate route to satisfy the curiosity of the primates inside the glass.  After a while we moved on to a different view point, where Frances saw a younger Baboon carrying around what she thought was a sack.  Did the zoo have a contract for play-sacks?  On looking more closely, it was not a sack but a former Brush-tailed Possum.

We asked a keeper about this and she thought the Possum had probably died overnight (while the baboons were in their sheds) and been found when they were let out in the morning.  Our conversation than moved on to the demographics of the troop.  They go to considerable extent to plan the families (contraceptive implants in the mature females, and the males appear not to breed with their offspring) and swap with other zoos to keep diversity happening.  The keeper moves between the baboons here and the big cats at Werribee - and has done 2 months working with Howler Monkeys in Bolivia - which she hopes to repeat.

Our next stop was a huge walk-through aviary.  I have a memory of not having been that impressed with this in the past - possibly due to crowding on the walkway - but it was great today.  A Black-necked Stork showing its shine.

A Glossy Ibis living up to its name.

Pied Herons.

A Cattle Egret takes off.

A Freckled Duck (one of several in the aviary) and a Buff-banded Rail.

After dipping on Plumed Whistling Ducks at Flemington they were availanble at the zoo today.

Next stop was the Giraffe enclosure, where feeding was happening.

I assume these shapes are to give the giraffe's some mental stimulation in working out how to get the hay out of the balls.  As we left all 5 Giraffes had moved to the far ide of the enclosure where a keeper has installed some fresh branches - I think as part of a tour for some punters.

A pond near the Function Centre (being used for a Conference of people interested in Felid Husbandry - aka Moggy Management aka Cat Keeping) some Long-necked Tortoises had piled up.

An Island in the pond was the home of a pair of Siamangs.  These are apes not monkeys and to my surprise (when checking the spelling) are Gibbons.  One was kind enough to pose briefly for a photo.

A Dusky Moorhen had set up home on the edge of the pond.

The pond is very close to a Japanese Garden.

We spent about 2 hours in the zoo which was long enough.  An advantage of Membership is that we can go back any time we feel like it and don't have to spent 5 hours there to get the maximum out of our entry fee.