Because we have a Minnesota Zoo membership, we try to get up to their 3-4 times a year and it seems like when we were up there in the spring, there was a lot of construction and new projects happening. We took our chances to brave a Saturday there, but with a chance of rain, the crowds weren't too bad.
I was anxious to try out our camera and get some close up shots of the animals and flowers.
We decided to do the outdoor trails first in case it decided to pour, and the bears were our top priority. And this bear just seemed to be waiting for us to say hello!
Amaya in the "Bear's Den."
It was a lazy day for the Wild Boar.
We got so excited when we spotted the tiger - he's usually so hard to find!
And as you can tell from this picture... it's no wonder he's difficult to find.
The Takin
These little prairie dogs always make me laugh... one minute they're there.... the next minute they are gone!
We heard that the zoo was offering Camel Rides... and shortly after the prairie dogs... there they were.
How exciting for Steve and Amaya! (I wasn't sure about riding a camel with precious cargo on board... but we did see another pregnant lady ride one... another time... maybe...)
They made a small little loop... it looked like it was a bumpy ride!
All smiles! Amaya loved it!
The zoo had a new Dinosaur exhibit that we had to check out. The clouds were looking quite gray - black and we heard thunder, but took our chances. (I was a little disappointed that the Dinosaur exhibit was an extra admission fee... but I'm glad we saw it once.)
The sound effects were very realistic, and Amaya was a little scared - what kid wouldn't be? The dinosaur exhibits were mechanical and made scary noises and even some of them spit out water!
The exhibit was located in a part of the zoo that we've never seen before, so it was fun to walk through the woods a little more. I couldn't remember all of the dinosaur names, so I took pictures of the plaque beside each exhibit.
We made it through the entire Dinosaur exhibit with just a few little sprinkles!
We finished up the Northern trail with hopes that the rain would hold off just a wee bit longer! The next thing we saw were the Dholes - a type of dog. And the mama Dhole just had pups!
The moose was out and about, but looking a little thin, don't you think?
Just as we headed inside... it began to pour! Thank goodness we finished all the outdoor trails!
We grabbed a quick snack and then decided to go on the Monorail. Then, we did the Tropics Trail.
No zoo experience would be complete if we didn't get a picture of Amaya on the turtle.
The monkeys were showing off quite a bit... caught this little guy just hanging around...
The Tapir...
They just finished remodeling this part of the trail and it looks a lot better...
The Red Panda...
We got some incredible pictures of the mountain lion? Cougar? Puma? We can't remember now... but regardless - amazing!
Cheese!
And this Candian Lynx... he was getting ready for supper!
We closed down the zoo and went to Perkin's for supper. We ended up sitting in a booth next to one of the Twin's Announcers! Great day - exhausting, but a lot of fun!