On Sunday (10/09/05), my friend Dorothy Brasher and I went to the Jacksonville Zoo and Biological Gardens. So in addition to animals they have plants galore. And I love flowers. 

Here is a honeysuckle. Too bad it was out of reach and we couldn't smell it.

I'm not really up on all the names of the critters you're gonna see. I guess you'll just have to go for yourself to find out. 

I'm sure we all recognize a rhinoceros.

Uhh, a bird? Okay Donna, what is it? Donna Bear-Hull for those of you who don't know, is Charlie Bears' daughter and she is the curator of birds at the Jax Zoo. Okay, Donna emailed me and said this is a Goliath Heron. Now we know.

And this of course is one of the lions. They are usually sleeping out of sight somewhere, but since it was still early in the morning they were up and around and fairly active.

Just like a house cat working its' claws on the furniture.

What magnificent creatures.

Mom and child.

One of the new ponds that has been added recently has some beautiful lillies in it.

One of the beautiful black jaguars.

I forget the type of lizard this is but we got there just in time for breakfast. This guy (gal, they aren't sure) likes snails.

This is a capybara.

A heron of sorts. Again from Donna's email this is a boat billed heron.

Some more  of Donnas' feathered friends. And this is a  seriema.

And this is a blue-crowned motmot.

And this is a sunbittern.

And  this is a peacock.

And here is Dorothy feeding the lorikeets.

There was just this one little meerkat outside standing guard. We assumed all his friends were underground.

I thought chimps didn't like water but there were a couple of them wading.

Mother and child.

Who's watching who?

One of the really big gators. All of them appear to be very well fed.

Our national symbol. 

After our trip to the zoo we took a ride up to Ft. George Island and this was on one of the properties on the island.

So ended a fun day at the Jacksonville Zoo. If you haven't been there in a while I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised by all the changes that have been made in recent months.

ENJOY !        

Jack Woodward      mailto:  jackwoodward66@hotmail.com

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