Review Archive/January 2013
Updated December 28, 2012


North Carolina Zoo, Part II
More Fascination!

By Jay Whipple/Trend Magazine Online™

…continued from December 2012

Then there was the Grassland Reserve zone which I found way cool because it features sprawling acres of land littered with all types of animals like the Fringe-eared Onyx’s, the Greater Kudus, Southern Rhinoceros’s, African Elephants, and Ostriches, to name a few big game creatures. It was very nice to see the folks at the zoo give these mammals enough room to roam freely. Next up was the Lemur Island which features, of course, Lemurs. I must be an idiot because up until that very moment I had never heard of such a creature. Where have they been all my life? Hiding in the zoo? Smile! According to the placard these creatures are the oldest primate species, they are endangered which may explain why I had not heard of them, and they have an opposable thumb and fingernail. Weird! They also have tails similar to raccoons and I must admit, it took me a while to spot them as I watched person after person walk up and immediately comment on them. I have got to be an idiot, I thought, until finally I spotted a few of them atop a tree towards the very back of the exhibit.

Next it was on to the Shani Loop which threw me for a loop or two as I had to back tract a bit to get to the beginning. First up were these very pretty-skinned Antelope that I got a chance to see up close and personal. I was then given a history lesson on Elephant dung and how it cycles back into plant life that grows up to be trees. Wow! I was then off to see what I had hoped to be the highlight of my tour, the Giraffe exhibit. I was all excited as I attempted to hand over the extra $2.00 to see those fascinating mammals up close and personal when the attendant informed me that they were currently away from the platform. Yikes, I thought, I am going to miss them; but she explained that they typically come up every ½ hour or so, so off I went to explore other creatures. I then discovered another nice cooling station near the Elephants exhibit which also adopted the use of my favorite Jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong to demonstrate the sound they make with their trunks.

It was then on to the Akiba Market which was another good pit stop with food, souvenirs, restrooms, and stroller rentals for parents in tow. Thirty minutes had just about expired so I rushed off back to the Giraffe platform just ahead of a boat load of other thrill seekers. Just as the attendant noted the Giraffes were headed toward the platform shortly after my arrival. It was as if we were awaiting the appearance of some Hollywood celebrity with cameras and video at the ready. Those wonderful beasts teased us a time or two by getting close then running back as if that was part of their show. None of them actually came right up to the platform but some came close enough to woo us all.

I decided to head on over to the Lion Trail, which was the last stop, when I discovered a pit stop towards the end of the Giraffe exhibit which actually gave me more time to view, film, and video those creatures. In fact, I got a chance to see Baby Juma who was born about six weeks before on July 6, 2012, weighing about 150 pounds and standing about six feet tall. Her mother is Jamila but there was no mention of a father. Juma was going through the process of slowly being introduced to the herd and it was fascinating seeing her and the others run back and forth from their cave as if they knew that they had fans watching. It appeared as though they were running in slow motion. As Spock would say, fascinating!

Last up was my favorite, the Lion Trail; why, because I am a Leo silly and they always save the best for last. I was deeply sadden to learn off the bat that the Lion population in Africa has decreased by 90% in the last 30 years because of habitat loss and human conflict (greed), and as a result these spectacular beasts are also endangered. I also learned that they are not really king of the jungle; why, because they actually roam the grasslands of Africa. This trail also features what some scientists consider our closest ancestors, the Chimpanzee. Again, and right off the bat, I learned that these intelligent beasts have gone from millions 100 years ago to just about 150,000 today. Despicable! At this rate, they will be completely extinct in approximately 15 years.

Continued>>>

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