March 9, 2014
Heidelberg Zoo
I visited Heidelberg Zoo on the first really sunny and warm Sunday in March.
The first enclosure after coming through the entrance is that of the bears. Before the new entrance to the zoo was built people could visit it even without entering the zoo itself. The bears share their space with desert foxes.
The bears...
... and the foxes.
Smile for the cameras.
The paws of these bears are quite impressive.
Before even entering through the gate you can see the first stork - one of many all over the zoo.
Here you can see that the life of a Mrs. Stork is not always comfortable.
Not sure if the last two pics could be interpreted as the cigarette "after"...
This little monkey was totally fascinated by a puddle of mudwater and kept swatting it - his friend prefered the clean-water version.
Following the path that goes around the zoo I came to the compound of the kangaroos. Apparently it was siesta time for most of them.
This one was by far the most chilled-out of the bunch.
Passing several enclosures...
... I arrived at the seal pool.
A short walk from the seals is the compound of the lions.
Catnap time in the sun.
These two were really sweet and kept up this obviously comforting closeness for quite some time.
Behind bullet-proof glass is part of the tiger enclosure. And one of them was sitting in the sun, enjoying the warmth of the day.
Lounging in the sun can be really tiring...
Rounding a little lake with flamingos...
... and a bird sorting its feathers...
... I arrived at the elephants.
On the way back to the exit I stopped at the goat compound. This time of year a lot of kids were born.
The poor mother goat had not one, but two kids begging her for milk.
Around the zoo there are several free flying birds, like the pelicans or the herons.
And there was a raven - although I am not sure its name was Nevermore.
The last stop before leaving the zoo was the aviary. The birds can fly freely in there, the roof is a net, so they cannot fly away.
Most likely this was not the last visit of the year. Usually I discover new things every time I go there.