I Love The San Diego Zoo

Today Jannine and Patsy and I had the privilege of visiting the San Diego Zoo while Jon was getting himself ready to be discharged from his long hospital stay. Jon and his lovely wife Laura were kind enough to set us up with tickets for the zoo so admission cost us nothing. This was really nice because admission is not cheap there although the price is well worthwhile considering what one gets for it. I typically HATE zoos. I empathize too much with the animals and feel their claustrophobia and sense of entrapment. However, at a zoo like this one they have larger and better "habitats" and such zoos are preserves for many endangered species and even breeding facilities for such. I last visited this zoo back in the mid-1980's when mom took my brother and I to San Diego during summer vacation a year or two or three after our dad died. I remember that we visited the zoo but remember no specifics. Therefore, today felt like my first visit and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, there is no possibility of doing the entirety of it in one day given the sheer volume of the San Diego Zoo.
*Note: to see additional adventures from this trip visit these pages:

Surprising Jon

Mario's World 

Chillin' With Mike, Not Mick 

Old Town San Diego At Night 

Mario's Brothers In Arms 

Jon Meets Mario 

Hamming It Up With Mario

Jannine and Patsy wanted to take the tram to which I agreed.

I did not let on to them at the time that I am uncomfortable being in such situations.

Initially as the tram ascended and early on I had to suppress an anxiety attack which was slightly discouraging to me.

However, I contained it in no small measure by distracting myself by taking many photos. Note the new habitat below being constructed. It appears the zoo has many new things going on so it keeps improving itself.

This is my favorite structure in the entire zoo. It has at least four levels with an open construction design reminiscent layout-wise of a Dr. Seuss structure but with a very different style, of course.

We were VERY high up when over canyons.

I LOVE the heavily forested nature of this zoo as well as the spacious mostly cageless exhibits.

I was greatly relieved at this point to be heading down.

I believe next time I should be fine on this tram now that I've "conquered" it.

Bontebok from South Africa.

Lesser kudu from east Africa.

Polar bear

Polar bear

Polar bear

Reindeer

Another bontebok from South Africa... my favorite animal here today.

Southern Gerenuk from east Africa.

Southern Gerenuk from east Africa.

Cuvier's Gazelle from northwest Africa.

Maned wolf from South America which is not actually a wolf or even a fox.

Elephant

Elephant

Giraffe

Rhinoceros posterior

Rhinoceros anterior

Koala

Male lion

Condors

Rattlesnake

Meercat

Bactrian camel

Koala

Orangutan....

..... in deep thought.

Like Linus, this orangutan dragged this burlap bag around everywhere it went.

Orangutan yawn

Gorilla mom with recently born young (born around Christmas 2014).

I assume that is the father bringing up the rear.

Alpha male silverback gorilla

Mom and baby gorilla again.
All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).