Heavy Petting

(I promised this post tomorrow and it is now three days after tomorrow. I got distracted. Whoops.)

We started our day at the park by going on “safari” with a small group of people, all of whom were at least thirty years out senior. Everyone climbed onto a zebra-striped bus and we headed out into the “bush” to see the herbivores.

This guy was waiting for us at the gate. I’m guessing he knew we all had carrot sticks to share with him. He was not shy about it, either; he just stuck his head right in the bus and started munching away.
Our tour guide (who spoke to all the animals like they were her babies, which was actually kind of precious) told us we could pet his wrinkly body but not his face. Evidently giraffes’ faces are a little ticklish, and if he jerked his head he could tip over the bus. Which would have been a little bit awesome, but mostly terrifying. Also, speaking of his wrinkles, this guy’s birth certificate (did you know giraffes have birth certificates?) says that he is “extra wrinkly.” It’s a little abnormal, I suppose.

We saw several other animals–you’ll get to meet them soon–and then drove up to feed the camel.We were warned very strongly against feeding anyone except the giraffe and the camel. They were the only ones who wouldn’t accidentally (or on purpose) chomp our fingers off. They can’t: they don’t have front teeth!

At some point on our drive, we stopped to pick up an ostrich egg. The ostrich keeps laying unfertilized eggs, just like chickens do, and the park people leave a few out to show visitors what ostrich nests look like and to give us a chance to hold one.
When David lived in Africa, he ate one. In fact, I think he tried to make brownies with one. Maybe not. I can’t remember. If he did, that is a TON of brownies!

After our safari, we headed up to the main part of the park. We wandered around for a while, checking out the other animals while we waited for one of the park’s shows to start. We didn’t have to wait too long before they brought these guys out to play.
In case you can’t tell, that is a big ol’ tortoise and an iguana. They were cool, but not nearly as cool as this girl, who came out to see everyone later in the day:
She is a reticulated python, and this little boy thought she was pretty much the coolest thing ever. Can’t say I blame him. Giant snakes are pretty fascinating.

She wasn’t the only snake we encountered that day. Between shows, David and I had wandered across the park to see what else there was to see. We’d stopped to check out the prairie dogs when a park worker drove up in a little truck.

“Wanna see the porcupine?” she asked us. “Sure!” we said, so she climbed into the prairie dog enclosure and opened up a little door, revealing a HUGE sleeping porcupine. I was surprised that the prairie dogs and porcupine lived together. She explained that since the porcupine is nocturnal, he doesn’t really bother the dogs, which are active during the day. Happy little ecosystems and such.

“If you meet me over by those little buildings I’ll show you the other porcupine, if you want,” she told us. Private tour? Yes please. We walked over to where she was pointing and waited.

Behind door number one? Cobras. WE DID NOT PET THE COBRAS. Although we could have, really, since there was nothing between us and them and they were only feet away from us.
Behind door number three? A ginormous anaconda. I did pet him (her?) but David didn’t get a chance to. Alas.
Door number two was my favorite though. Because these sweet little guys were inside!

David is petting the prehensile porcupine, and I am petting the sloth. Forget dogs; I’m pretty sure we need a pet sloth. He was so soft and so docile and his little face (which you can’t see because it’s pressed up against the wall) was adorable. The prehensile porcupine was pretty rad too, though. His nose was all fuzzy.

Coming up: animals we did NOT pet because they would have tried to eat our faces!

You may also enjoy:

Wildwood Photo Dump Boom Boom We saw Robert Redford’s house