The Taronga Zoo
The day we went to the zoo started out much less combative. We got up a lot later than 4:45 am. This helped. We took the light rail down to – well, not the ferries because the train doors wouldn’t lock. So we had to walk the rest of the way to the quay. On the 12 minute ferry ride over to the zoo we caught a glimpse of the famous Sydney Opera House. It did not look as white as in the photos I’ve seen. It looked a tad beige maybe even dingy. How disappointing.
A Giraffe’s Eye View of Sydney
The giraffes have the absolute best view of Sydney harbor compared to any other animal in that zoo. And I am sure they appreciate it. Taronga is an aboriginal word meaning “beautiful view”.
Their shelter is so high, I had to laugh.
Creepy
The first exhibit we came to was the Squirrel Monkeys. There was some murky water in front of us. I was looking up into the trees when suddenly Maureen screamed and jumped back. “What’s wrong?” I said. She said, “Look!” I looked at what she was pointing at. It was a massive croc’s head just a few feet away from us. “Oh my God!” I said. And there was no glass or anything between us and it. A man standing behind us said, “I don’t think that’s real.” It was a head carved out of a log. But it looked real sunk down there in the green algae. Nice job. We slunk off a little embarrassed.
Also Strange and Weird
I asked Maureen, “What are those things on the trees?” She didn’t know. Then we found a sign that explained that these things are “Tree Huggers”. How cliché. If they are supposed to be people then why are they not more human-like? Do they light up at night? Why would a tree hugger light up at night? I wouldn’t want to be that little Wallaby or whatever it is and live with those crazy looking things stuck to the trees. I bet they make him nervous.
The Camel
The camel slurped from puddles in the grass. He made a nice sucking sound with his big lips. He’d slurp up water, lift his head, grind his jaws together sideways, look at me thoughtfully and then dip his head back down and start again. I enjoyed watching him suck back that water. It was calming. He had a rhythm, and made eye contact with me so it was like we were together. We were drinking water together. And, I mean, he’s a camel. How often do they drink? I may never see another camel drink again. Maureen said he was ugly. My phone had died by this point so I didn’t get a picture of his lovely face.
Charlie the Australian Sea Lion
He was swimming by himself because he is just too darn big to swim with his girlfriend and daughter. Maureen said he was fat. I said he’s supposed to be that way. He weighs 638 pounds and his girlfriend, Nala, weighs 132 pounds. This is sexual dimorphism meaning a distinct difference in size or appearance between the sexes of an animal of the same species. He is a rescue. No mother to care for him so the zoo took him. The zookeeper told us he was 16. “He’s my age!” Maureen squealed. He was her favorite animal at the zoo.
Later, when I got home, I watched a video of a zookeeper walking Charlie around the zoo like a dog only instead of a leash she used a bucket of fish to keep him focused.
The Dingo Really Did Eat Her Baby
Can you imagine telling the police that a dingo dragged your poor baby off and they don’t believe you? That the prosecution accuses you of slitting your baby’s throat, hiding the body and you get life imprisonment? Finally, after 32 years, the mother’s version of events was officially supported by a coroner.
But not these guys. These are “Sleeping Dingoes”. That’s all they do is sleep.
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