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December
29, 2006
How cold is it today? Woodstock is skating on the bird bath
outside. There's frost on car windows and black ice on roads.
I knew there would be slim pickings at the Zoo, as most of
the inmates would choose the warmth of their dens, but what
the heck, I went anyway. |
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A
White-naped Crane proved to be quite a contortionist, trying to
keep warm.
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Here,
a squirrel ignores the Japanese Serow who was eyeing him thoughtfully.
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What
else is there for gorillas to do but stay under the heat lamps,
eat and sleep?
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One
can always make a cosy straw bed, I suppose.
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A
deceptively fragile-looking Gazelle found a few rays of weak sunshine.
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"Hey
pal!" asks a Siamang. "Wanna go out and sing for the folks?"
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"No
way! I'd freeze my errrrm vocal chords off today!"
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Melati
says hello, huddling by her little window.
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Just
outside the door sits Towan. He didn't stay out long at all.
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How
to keep warm. First, find a good-sized hunk of cardboard.
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Get
comfy on a pile of straw and pull a hunk of burlap over you.
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Now
cover everyrthing with the cardboard and voilà,! Cosy or
what?
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The
aptly-named Snow Leopard wasn't bothered at all.
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A
Mountain Goat is lit by sunshine in this pastoral scene.
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So is the
constantly-pacing Arctic Wolf.
One
thing I missed was seeing the new baby tiger on a closed circuit
TV. I braved the hordes in the Kids' Pavilion and checked a few
times but the folks were having trouble getting the videotapes
to run. Ah well, maybe next week. :)
There were two items of Zoo News in the paper yesterday.
- An anonymous
benefactor has given 6 million dollars to the Zoo. The Penguin
exhibit will be rebuilt and revamped, among other things.
- The new
baby tiger is currently being hand-reared as mother tiger's
interest has waned. A guide told me today that this is not
abnormal for Mama (it happened with her other babies), and
she hopes they will be reunited very soon.
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