The Lowry Park Zoo, Trip 2 – 2009 – Tampa, FL

2009/2010
Homeschool Field Trip #5
The Lowry Park Zoo
September 8, 2009

We never managed to see everything on our first “Swaptember” trip to the zoo, so we visited again on the following week, starting where we had previously left off…at the entrance to the “Asian Gardens“.

Our first (and one of our favorite, because I LOVE big cats!) exhibits was that of the white tiger. While I know that it is ethically wrong for zoos to display the white tiger, Lowry Park Zoo claims to have rescued these tigers from certain death when another park shut down. Whether or not this is true, I don’t know [the Zoo, however, has bred the two adults, which is also wrong].

[Read here to see why the breeding of white tigers is WRONG!]

Regardless of the irresponsibility in the breeding and exhibition of these cats, the cats are worthy of mention…they are absolutely beautiful!

White Tiger
Panthera tigris

Greater Indian Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros unicornisa

Sri Lankan Sloth Bear
Melursus ursinus inornatus

Quite possibly the ugliest animal I have ever seen.

Bearded Pig
Sus barbatus

Reeve’s Muntjac
Muntiacus reevesi

Komodo Dragon
Varanus komodoensis

Lorikeet
Trichoglossus haematodus

After visiting Asia, we took a trip through the free flight aviary to look at the Birds.

While the zoo does have a pretty nice aviary, the signs aren’t that great — nor is their website — as far as bird identification is concerned. Most of the birds idenitfied on the signs were no where to be found; while birds like these were — with nothing to tell visitors what kind of birds they are.

I’m pretty sure that the first bird is a Masked Lapwing, the second is a Toco Toucan, and the third is some sort of Ibis. I have no idea what kind of birds are in the last two photos.

And off to the exhibit that really caused us to return to the zoo for a second visit — Primate World! What zoo visit is complete without checking out the primates?

Ever since my boys were little and Zooboomafu aired on PBS, these guys have been a favorite around our house.

(I love the zoom on my camera!)

Ring-Tailed Lemur
Lemur catta

These little squirrel monkeys moved so quickly, and were so active, I had a difficult time getting a picture!

Squirrel Monkey
Saimiri sciureus

Wolf’s Guenon
Cercopithecus wolfi

Mandrill
Papio sphinx

By far, the primates we had the most fun watching were the Colobus Monkeys!

Colobus
Colobus angolensis polycomos

This was because they had a baby — the CUTEST little white baby!

Above is a scene you might expect to see at my house –
everyone gathered around to see the new baby. “Ahhhhh…”

But what happened next was unexpected.
Another monkey swooped in and grabbed the baby!
Literally wrestling it away from the first monkey! –
grabbing the poor little thing upside down; tail and feet up in the air…

I’m not sure what’s going on in the photo above;
if they were sharing the baby, or bickering over her…

But by the time we left, the baby was content again and nursing.
Go ahead and say it…”Ahhhhh….”

And the rest of my photos are of my favorite “primates”, the ones I gave birth to.

Fun in the Fountains

The Log Ride

We splurged.
We allowed Lefty and Dinky Tumblina to ride the overpriced log ride.

When the ride was over Dinky said, “It wasn’t scary!”
But when I cropped down the photo that I took,
her face tells a different story. :)