The Audubon Zoo

We spent 1/2 of a day at the zoo.  Robyn wanted to spend the entire day looking at the Zebras, and only agreed to move on when she was promised a giraffe or two further along.  Tragically, the giraffes were hiding, so we never did see them.

I used my last few pictures here (before we reached the zebras).  None of them really turned out, since the animals were all (wisely) in the shade, and the camera automatically used the light level of the not-shade.  However, thanks to the magic of digital imaging, you can see what they're supposed to be.
 
 
A couple of deer from China, trying to beat the heat.  I don't remember the exact species, only that they are communist deer. 

(click here to see the unretouched version)

 
 Can you spot the elephant?

 

We watched Josie, a very clever sea-lion performing tricks at the direction of her trainer.  She had a great show full of jumping, swimming, and generally doing sea-lion things.  However, after the show was over and the trainer had left, she demonstrated another neat trick, entirely on her own.  She would take a mouthful of water, and spit it up into the air, and then catch it again in her mouth.  She did this over and over, as she swam around the pool.  She looked entranced with this game, and didn't seem to need her trainer or her bucket of fish to have fun.



Another of the key attractions of this zoo was something that had been built at great effort (and, I presume, expense) by a local philanthropist who was concerned that local children were being deprived of an important aspect of childhood.  Since New Orleans is completely flat, he constructed a hill for children to play on.  It has a plaque and it looks like it's been well used.


If you want to see some photos of the zoo taken by a professional, try here.  Click here for the Zoo's official page.