Pandemic Diary Week #33 - A Pandemic Break at the Zoo

6 November 2020

I forgot to blog about going to the zoo as a break from the pandemic!  I guess I was so excited about finishing the sign and then having it installed, I totally missed our zoo visit!

(Richard and I are now in a rented house in St. Augustine, Florida.  Actually, we're on the barrier island of Anastasia.  But that will be another blog, and I want to focus on the zoo.)

 

Cape May itself is the southernmost point of New Jersey.  But Cape May is also a beach and town, just slightly northeast of the actual cape.  Just know that it's the southern tip of New Jersey.  The zoo is a bit north of the actual peninsula that is Cape May - but in the general vicinity, and a big inland so that it isn't impeding the wetlands.

 

Here is their website: www.capemaycountynj.gov/1008/Park-Zoo

 

Now, this was my sister-in-law (J) and my little break from the pandemic and all the self-isolation, social distancing, and sheltering in place.  However, we definitely planned on masking and distancing - and the zoo had a policy that masks are necessary for entrance.  So we went in, masks on, and trying to keep at least one zebra length away from other people.  There were reminder signs around the zoo, but not everyone kept their masks on their faces.  And while it wasn't packed, the zoo was busy enough that it would have been better had everyone complied with the mask rule.

 

It isn't a huge zoo, but it now is home to some 550 animals, and the zoo has several conservation programs working to house and maintain several endangered species animals.  My favorite are the snow leopards, and there are two enclosures of these gorgeous fuzzy-furred cats.  The female, Himani, has given birth to seven cubs over the years.  Two other snow leopards joined the zoo and had twin cubs in 2017 as part of their breeding program.  (They strictly follow all the protocols established by the AZA's Species Survival Program.)  

Animals seemed to be grouped not only by species but sometimes by species in the same family.  For example, camels, alpacas, and llamas were in the same enclosure.  They wouldn't be found together in nature, since camels are from the Middle East and North Africa, while alpacas and llamas are indigenous to South America.  But they're all camelids, so they're housed together here.  I don't know if they've become friends, but they definitely tolerated each other.

 

The white deer, or leucistic deer, always look vaguely magical.  They have a shady wooded area, and wander around or laze under the trees.  These deer aren't albinos in the true sense - they have a recessive gene that produces the white fur, but they have the dark eyes and noses of non-leucistic deer.  (Doesn't this deer look like it was conjured with a patronus charm?)

The bison were interesting to watch - there seemed to be one huge alpha bison, maybe the patriarch of this herd.  He lumbered around, munching on grass and checking on the other bison, who all seemed to move out of his way and concede the shady or comfortable areas to lie around.  Really, he was definitely the king bison here!

The flamingos were flamboyant as always, preening and looking at their reflection in the pond.  They were very funny to see napping though, curling those long necks around their bodies like a snake.  There were a few pale young flamingos, trying to grow up into that beautiful coral pink color.

The Amur leopard was restless, pacing back and forth in her enclosure.  I'm not sure if she was unhappy with the many people watching her, or because it was a fairly warm day, nothing like her native northern China/southern Russia region.  Or maybe she was just walking to keep her kittenish figure.  She definitely had a route planned out, and kept walking in circles and figure eights.  (Her name is Judda.)

The giraffes and zebras shared an enclosure, just as they share the savannahs of southern Africa.  There was an ostrich in there as well.  The giraffes were nibbling on the leaves of trees on the other side of their enclosure fence, though the youngest giraffe wasn't quite tall enough to reach those yummy leaves.  The zebras were munching on the grass, keeping it well mown.

There was a kookaburra, the Australian bird with the crazed laugh - we could periodically hear it across the zoo, and eventually saw him/her in the enclosure.  Really, they have the most distinctive bird cry, almost like Vincent Price laughing his most demonic and maniacal laugh.  Since we were coming up to Halloween, this seemed quite appropriate.

 

We even saw a few jack'o'lanterns, possibly to be the next meal for some of the vegan animals here.

 

Several pea fowl roamed the zoo property, though the peacocks' tails seemed shorter than usual.  The pea hens aren't as colorful, and the hens aren't as gregarious as the males.  But that iridescent blue is just an incredible color!

The capybaras were having lunch and being hand fed, I presume because the one on the right was eating twice as fast as the capybara on the left.  If you haven't met capybaras, these are the largest rodents in the world, native to parts of Central and South America.  They're large, about the size of a medium to large dog (though not as huge as a Great Dane).  Herbivores, and they spend half their time in water, just hanging out like hairy rodent hippos.  They really are unique animals!

 

I should mention that this zoo is free to the public, although they do accept donations.  They also have private tours (for a fee), and special "animal encounters" such as maybe feeding the giraffes.  It really was wonderful to have a sunny afternoon visiting with all these animals, and taking a break from the pandemic, the election, the murder hornets, all the craziness that has been 2020, the year we never saw coming.

 

There were other animals, but they weren't close enough for decent photos.

 

An hour before closing, we were ready to go - but I needed a ride on the carousel.  I do like a good carousel, and this one has wild animals to ride, rather than the mundane horses.  All the animals gallop along to the music, except the giraffe - he's so tall, he'd hit his head if he galloped.  So he just poses and looks regal as he goes around and around.

 

I rode the lion.  Last time I was here, I rode the zebra.  I'm an equal opportunity animal rider.  I was the sole rider on the carousel, although a family came along after my ride and they were able to enjoy this very festive and colorful carousel.

And that was it.  It's all happening at the zoo.  Definitely worth a visit, to have some fun and to get out.  (But wear that mask!)