Calgary Zoo

We finally got out and saw somewhere after a long time: Calgary Zoo. It was probably a little early because the city is still brown but we went anyway. One of the main reasons that people these days have plans to visit Calgary Zoo is penguins. A number of penguins were brought to Calgary and I saw that on TV news months ago and they are finally being displayed. The animals are from different types and although I know this is not the right term to use but you can see the difference. But you won't definitely see the very tall ones which I believe should be more than 1 m. The Zoo has made fantastic facility to provide the same atmosphere for the little animals. A few of a certain kind were outside in the sun and by a stream and seems to be fine. A few other ones where inside which was cool and humid a little. For those one we had to stay in a line for almost 1 hour and a half! I was told it had been worse the earlier days. At times people would stay in line for hours without being able to see the penguins.

Rather than those there were other animals that we had not seen them in Vancouver Zoo. So they were interesting to us. Amongst them were elephant which you could see them being bathed by the Zoo employees. Bison, a few South American animals including the very interesting Anteater and many more. It was for that 2 hours we spent on the penguins that deprived us from seeing the other animals and had to rush at the end. I will go for the second one especially because I messed up many photos (The ones by the SLR camera are coming out tomorrow).

Calgary Zoo is smaller compare to Vancouver Zoo so you can see the animals, mostly from a closer distance. If you're going and want to see everything the best plan is to be there at 09:00 when the gate opens, go see penguins and then see everything else unless their penguin place opens later. Also check the different programs that the Zoo might have on different days. You need to take food and drinks with you because the sources are limited and lines are long. I hate staying in the line and never do that even if I'm starving (F. F. stayed in penguins line, mostly!) so what we did was we drove out, got a bite and came back after half an hour. That was another half an hour loss which I will consider in my next visit.

(Photo: A Hippopotamus was vaccuuming the surface for hays! There were two of them and you could see them from 4 feet away. Quiet and interesting animals which walk very slowly and are mostly comfortable when they are in water)