We didn't get to see as much of the Cleveland Zoo as we might have on a zoo-only visit when we were at Jeff and Lauren's wedding. But we did catch a few animals! My favorites are the giraffes.
I'd never seen a giraffe before, apart from nature documentaries and photos. To see these magnificent animals in person is somewhat awe-inspiring to me.
I loved how they ate from the tall trees on the perimeter.
And watching this one lay down -- see how he folds himself up? How they do that is beyond me!
Apparently you can feed them by hand but we skipped that part!
The rhinoceros was interesting too.
They put their food in barrels (or at least some of it) that are hanging so they have to work to get it. There were two -- I suspect their outdoor pens were adjoining and probably connect to an inside spot we couldn't see.
There were African vultures flying overhead and swans in the pond. This one was taking a break on the leafy shore.
And the ostriches always remind me of a scene in the Disney "Swiss Family Robinson" where the family had a wild animal race and "Francis" rode an ostrich. (At 3:20 in this trailer link.)
The areas connecting the various animal sections were beautifully landscaped. I loved how the light hit these stunning blooms.
All in all, a lovely time.
And one worth repeating!
How fun! Years ago we went to a nature preserve and took a behind the scenes tour. They let us feed the giraffes, their huge heads towering over us as we held buckets of feed. It was awesome, an experience never to be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful visit.
ReplyDeleteI love giraffes too, such beautiful animals. A lot of African animals at the Cleveland Zoo.
ReplyDeleteI got to see giraffes up close and personal two years ago. They truly are wonderful creatures.
ReplyDeleteSwans are always a delight to see. They always remind me of Tchaikovsky's 'Swan Lake', and Kirov's Ballet.
ReplyDeleteSome of your photos wouldn't open for me, but the ones I saw were great. I love giraffes. Do you know that 2 two have the same spot pattern. and they are such gentle giants. You should read West with Giraffes. It looks like you had a nice visit even if it was limited. What a fun place for a wedding. Have a great rest of your weekend. Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteHello Jeanie,
ReplyDeleteGreat photos from your visit to the zoo. I love seeing the giraffes. The rhino is cool too. Pretty shot of the swan and the blooms! Take care, have a great new week!
The giraffes look like they have a roomy enclosure. It's interesting to see how other zoos compare in their habitats. Great photos!
ReplyDeleteI love giraffes too. I'm not sure if it's my laptop or what but half of the photos aren't showing. Is there a problem?
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the photos, I love zoos. Giraffes are always very impressive! Google seems to be making problems with photos just now. Hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful giraffes!
ReplyDeleteTheir bodies don't make sense, if that makes sense. 😂
We don't go to the Toronto Zoo much any more but when my daughter was little we used to buy an annual pass. Usually these days if I go it's to study whatever birds they might have from the region of the world I am about to visit. We always pick a rainy or cold day. That keeps the crowds away and we find it far more pleasant.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a fun visit . . .
ReplyDeleteGiraffe have their own movement of grace . . .
So glad you shared these photos of the Cleveland Zoo. We have six giraffes at our zoo, but you have to buy food and a ticket to feed them at a certain time if you want to try that. I think they charge $2.00 for the ticket and I don't know how much for the food. You were lucky if feeding them at the Cleveland Zoo was free. Our rhinos have outdoor and indoor access to watch them. I enjoyed your photos from that zoo, dear. Makes me appreciate ours even more.
ReplyDeleteYou made me realize how much I love a good zoo ... and how long it's been since I spent the day just browsing around!
ReplyDeleteI'm promising myself next spring!
Yes, giraffes are amazing. They move so slow, if feeling safe, so gracious.
ReplyDeleteI stood so long, watching them Ingo had to "tow" me away.
Elegant animals.
But I saw in docus how males can get real brutal (as every species)... huhhhh.
I've always thought giraffes have the best eyelashes in the whole animal kingdom -- they should use them in mascara commercials, except the giraffes don't need mascara! I haven't been to the Houston zoo since they're redone it, but apparently it's a more-than-marvelous place now. The last time I was there, a baby elephant tried to take a piece of gum out of my shirt pocket with its trunk!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a fun visit.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the virtual trip to the zoo Jeanie, zoos have always been one of my favorite places!
ReplyDeleteJenna
I've only seen giraffes in zoo-like settings. I'm still holding on to my bucket list dream of doing a safari in Africa. Glad you had a great time!
ReplyDeleteJeanie, I assume you’ve never been to Binder Park Zoo? Their giraffes roam freely in a huge area along with zebras and other animals, and they have a place to feed them. I went a number of years ago with Corbin and his mom and dad. I remember him feeding them large lettuce leaves. It’s located in the Battle Creek area.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun and memorable place for a wedding! Cheers to the happycouple!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you posted your visit to the zoo, it reminds me of how fun they are. I haven't been to a zoo since we took our grandson a few years back.Giraffes were his favorite, maybe it's time to visit our wonderful zoo in Birmingham. Thanks for the visit Jeanie.
ReplyDeleteThe next time you get to Toronto, you should check out the ZOO there. It is really something.
ReplyDeleteThe animals would have indoor habitat too. Lots of those critters couldn't tolerate our winters.
That must have been a wonderful visit. I notice that there are 4 blank squares where your photos should be. Do you notice them too, or is it a glitch on my computer?
ReplyDeleteSuch a fun post seeing the animals. The giraffes are so intriguing. I also noticed some of your photos are blanked out. I know when I copy a photo and try to add it, it sometimes gives me an error, so I remove it. I then refresh the whole post and re-add them.
ReplyDeleteOh I love love giraffes. My eldest once had the opportunity to feed one while on a field trip. It was so cool
ReplyDeleteAlways fun to see a giraffe folding up its legs! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSo fun! I love giraffes too. They look so graceful and serene to me! We haven’t been to the zoo in so long. The last time we went was the summer of 2019. It was out of the question last year as we played it extra safe. And then this year it would be tough to go with Will napping twice/day. But next year I want to go on a regular basis. I put a family zoo membership on the boys’ wish list for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteNext time you must feed the giraffes! We have fed them a couple of times at the Birmingham Zoo, and it was a lot of fun because you first have to climb up on a treehouse type platform, and they have really long tongues! :D
ReplyDeleteSo lovely my friend.
ReplyDeleteI like giraffes too and was lucky to see many of them on safari, along with lots of other animals too. I'm glad you were able to go to the wedding and have a great time.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in St.Louis we had amazing zoo visits as children. Definitely giraffes, and even pandas for a while, before they died and China locked down the rest of the species. I remember llamas, elephants (including an elephant ride) and the now-prohibited animal shows where they learned unnatural tricks and the monkeys wore little suits and rode on a bicycle. So I'm glad you managed to see the Cleveland giraffes and whatever else.
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I love the giraffes best, too. We were the Whitcomb Giraffes at my school. Now that's an awe-inspiring animal mascot.
ReplyDeleteGoing to the zoo is a favorite outing of mine. I never get tired of watching the animals.
ReplyDeleteGoing to a zoo brings out the child in me! I love seeing all the animals. Thank you for the snippets of your visit, Jeanie.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos of the giraffes and rhino!
ReplyDeleteA rhino in the Denver Zoo gave birth to a baby this summer and we had fun watching frequent video cams on the news of it growing.
I love this, Jeanie. And zoo visiting has always been a favorite thing I love to do. I, too, enjoy the giraffe's also. They are so pretty and I think - elegant.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week, Jeanie.
Giraffes are fascinating animals.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful day! Your photographs are truly stunning.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be great to be as flexible as a giraffe seems to be?
ReplyDeleteWe love going to the Toledo zoo. You can feed the giraffes there too! I wish we had more Trumpeter swans in our area instead of the mute swans. Janice
ReplyDeleteThe zoo looks lovely and the animals have plenty of space. I like the giraffes and the rhinos too, such beautiful creatures.
ReplyDeleteAt the Safari Park we go to monthly is the possibility to feed the giraffes, but I never did it, as it is a part of the keeper-for-a-day package, which is quite expensive and also, the whole experience takes a few hours to do. I imagine it is amazing though. :)