When you go to the Zoo...

Tuesday was our "go to the Henry Doorley Zoo" day. We were running about 15 minutes late, but we got to the Zoo and everyone was a bundle of excitement once they spied our friends waiting for us right inside the gate. Greetings exchanged, mostly jumping and laughing and hugging, we started to explore. 

First things first, baby lion cubs! The cubs were supposedly super playful, but during our visit they were super hungry and sleepy. The momma has a litter of five cubs, but the aunt was helping with the nursing... My friend and I were both wondering how that happens, I sense some homeschool research projects on lions will occur back in Texas. :) 

On the outside of the great cats exhibit, we got to see Mr. Bigs, the male lion. He was talkative which is always fun for the kids who try to talk back to him. There was also a Bengal Tiger that was super close to the walkway (thanks to really thick glass), so I was trying to get a photo of him. Each time he came my direction he would growl and hop around. The first time it startled me, the next time I assumed he did this to everyone. I asked a Zoo docent near by about the tiger's strange behavior, he looked like he had worked there for fifty years, he said he had never seen him do that before. Ha! Leave it to the Texans. 

The Omaha Zoo is critically acclaimed for many of its exhibits. I love the San Antonio Zoo, but Omaha does have some really unique exhibits. The Lied Jungle, the Desert Dome and Underground Night Creatures, and the Aquarium are so fun. We spent a lot of time hanging out with the Gorillas, one of the baby gorillas was super playful and would come bang the window right at one of the kid's faces. It was quite surprising but then we would all laugh because the baby would then throw himself on the ground and pat his stomach like he was having a good laugh scaring us. We passed by quite a few exhibits trying to convince us of man's evolution from monkeys. My kids kept singing "There Aren't Any Monkeys In My Family Tree" from the Answers in Genesis VBS they went to a few years ago. We are looking forward to the kids getting to hear Ken Ham speak on Thursday night. 

We told the kids we planned to stay open to close at the Zoo, and we did. But knowing little legs grow tired, we planned to watch the IMAX in 3D movie about the Monarch Butterfly Migration to Mexico. The timing was perfect, it was a perfect ending to a wonderful day. Micah thought so too.