Day 8: The San Diego Zoo

Karen and David had to do an early airport drop-off and shared that they were going to the Zoo afterward. We invited ourselves to join in the fun. Oh, what fun it was!

We did our usual amount of animal ogling, and most put on quite a show.

We had to visit the koalas since my friend, Jenny, saw them in Australia recently!

What cuteness!

Baboons and orangutans were mesmerizing to watch.

It is extra special when babies are present. Look at that face!

Lunch was at Albert's Restaurant (that's the namesake on the right). Undoubtedly the most famous resident ever at the San Diego Zoo, Albert was a handsome silverback western lowland gorilla. Born in Africa, Albert arrived at the Zoo in August 1949 at about four months of age. He and two baby female lowland gorillas were hand raised in the Zoo’s nursery. As Albert reached maturity, he was moved to a new open-air gorilla grotto, located where this restaurant now stands. In 1965, Albert fathered Alvila, the first western lowland gorilla conceived and born at the San Diego Zoo and only the seventh gorilla born in any zoo. During his years here, Albert endeared himself to an international audience through his majestic stature, mischievous behavior, and gentle demeanor.

What an idyllic, albeit chilly (since I demanded to be by the waterfall) spot to pay homage to Albert and to have a delightful lunch!

My birthday wish came true instantly.

Since we dined where the Gorillas once lived, it was time to go see the 'new' enclosure and learn more about these animals.

These are peaceful, family oriented, plant-eating primates that live in complex social groups. They are the largest of all primates—the group of animals that includes monkeys, lemurs, orangutans, chimpanzees, and humans.

Many people like to compare gorillas with humans, but there are several differences. Although they are able to stand upright, gorillas prefer to walk using their hands as well as their legs. Their arms are much longer than their legs, and gorillas can use the backs of their fingers like extra feet when they walk. Karen captured them in action! Wow.

Like all great apes (except humans), gorillas require rainforests to make their living, and the forest depends upon them, too. The gorilla’s fibrous scat acts as rich fertilizer, and seedlings sprout from it rapidly, making gorillas important forest regenerators. Very cool!

On to one of our favorites. Many people admire the red panda for its charming, kitten-like face, cinnamon red fur, fluffy ringed tail, and astonishing agility. The black-and-white giant panda may have worldwide popularity, but the bewitching and arboreal “other bamboo eater” has its own allure. Come on, how adorable is this face?!

Interestingly, French zoologist Frédéric Cuvier first described the western red panda in 1825, 48 years before the black-and-white bear was cataloged. After examining a red panda, he said it was the most beautiful animal he had ever seen.

We all agreed that the red panda was adorable but today's star of the show was this little cutie. Born just five days ago (March 3) this golden, male takin, marks only the third time a golden takin has been born in the Western Hemisphere and all at the San Diego Zoo.

With horns like a wildebeest, a nose like a moose, a tail like a bear, and a body like a bison, the takin (rhymes with rockin') looks like a character from Dr. Seuss! This large, muscular, hoofed mammal is sometimes referred to as a goat antelope, because it has things in common with both goats and antelope. But the takin is most closely related to sheep and to the goat-like aoudad, or Barbary sheep, of North Africa. ADORABLE.