It's time again for
Warm Heart Wednesday sponsored by Ms. Jenny at
Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent." One of these days I'll actually get my post up on Wednesday! For some reason it's usually not until late Thursday when I finally start writing.
My son and I had been talking about going to the
Houston Zoo for months. In fact, last Spring we drove down on a weekday and the place was mobbed. There were school buses and cars parked all over the place. We drove around for a while and couldn't find a place to park and left. Then Summer came along with the hot humid weather and we promised ourselves we'd go when the weather cooled off.
This week the kids were back in school, the weather had cooled off, and we decided to go. It was probably in the low 50's the day we went. It was just perfect weather for the zoo.
I've lived in Houston area for most of the last 30+ years and the Houston Zoo has improved greatly over that time. It is really a very nice zoo with lots of large natural habitats for the animals. I was telling my son how when I was a kid the poor animals were kept in small cages where they paced back and forth all day. I think that was at the Bronx Zoo, but it could have been any zoo during that time period. It warms my heart to see the animals treated much better today.
This past year they opened a new gorilla habitat and that was what we wanted to see. In years past they had one gorilla living in a small indoor exhibit. I believe after he died they started working on the big exhibit and all the gorillas living there now were acquired from other zoos in 2015.
Sometimes the animals do something that really warms my heart. Take a look at this little guy.
A lot of the zoo residents were out enjoying the warm sun. This duck found a nice spot. I guess they're all good friends.
And these little guys were so cute. I wish I could remember what they're called. They were running around and having a great time.
The zoo is located right next to the Houston Medical Center and every so often a helicopter would fly over. We had to laugh when they all looked up when they heard one.
There are lots of exhibits and this is a small sample. Just a few pictures of the ones that especially warmed my heart.
Now head over to
Jenny's blog for a list of this week's participants. Thanks for visiting...
I love going to the zoo - when it is not that crowded and when it is cooler! Glad you had fun. I think they are called meerkats???
ReplyDeleteBetty, I really enjoyed the visit to the Houston Zoo. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been since 2011 when KP came back from London for holiday. Now six, when we took her then she was eighteen months. If you'd like you could see som pictures here:
http://jimmiehov.blogspot.com/2011/01/day-at-houston-zoo-yesterday-midweek.html (You have to paste that link)
If your critters had hard shells I would have said Armadillos.
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Zoos were terrible prisons for animals years ago, now it has very much improved everywhere and their well being is respected. This gorilla is gorgeous !
ReplyDeleteI post on Thursdays or later, Betty. Simply the way it is. :-) I look up when I hear a helicopter, too. lol
ReplyDeleteWe frequently went to Reid Park zoo in Tucson, but now the nearest zoo is in Jacksonville. I always loved the zoo as a child, and have taken my grandchildren whenever I can. The best zoo I have been to is the San Diego zoo.
ReplyDeleteLove your Zoo share! Such sweetness, love those big primates. we go to the zoo in Denver often. You are right times have changed and animals get excellent care. In my hometown of Pueblo as a kid they had a place called "Monkey Mountain"! In his 50's now, but as a kid, my cousin Mike D. was triple dog dared to jump in the moat that seperated us from the monkeys and he did it! Unfortunately when he swam to Monkey Mountain those monkeys attacked him. He had a lot of stitches and still shudders at his stupidity back than as a kid! Ouch! But the monkeys had a great set up here. It was so open and free yet they never tried to cross that moat themselves. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteLove the critters watching the helicopters!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they have done so much to improve habitats in the zoos. They used to be pretty bad in most places, and animals deserve better!
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