Alana and I took Maya to the zoo on Friday to see the new giant pandas. I’d never been to the zoo in the winter before, and after walking around in the freezing cold for 2 or 3 hours I remembered why that was. I couldn’t feel my toes by the end of it, but at least it didn’t snow or rain.
They’ve gone mental over the pandas. They have panda everything. Panda bags, panda cuddly toys, panda balloons. We had to book a time slot to view them because so many people were there to see them. The male was in its indoor enclosure because it didn’t like one of the trees in its outdoor one so it was in the process of being replaced, so all we got to see of him was his back whilst he sat against the glass munching on some bamboo. The female was outside and wandering around and climbing stuff, so that was a bit more exciting. I’ve always thought pandas look like people in costumes.
Maya loved the penguins. We stood for ages at the bit where you can watch them underwater, and some kept swimming right up to Maya and watching her. She also had a close encounter during the penguin parade with a gentoo. One of the emperors that came out for the parade has been knighted. As in, he is a sir. Now, I can’t be sure, but I think he may have been the one waddle-strutting like he owned the joint.
I freaking love sun bears, and every time I’ve been to the zoo they’ve been hiding or sleeping or whatever, but this time the 2 of them were out and about, and one of them kept standing up on the edge of the rocks and watching everyone watching him. He yawned at one point and his tongue unravelled like one of those winder sweets you used to get. Those things are huge!
We saw the chimpanzees, who were all looking pretty laid back (the one lying on its back with its legs spread, particularly) until one of them went a bit mental and genuinely through shit at the enclosure windows.
It was a good day. My favourite parts were probably when Maya called the flamingos “ducks” and the rhinos “dinosaurs”.
