zoo tour, part one

while visiting friends in new orleans, i had the opportunity to get a backstage tour of the audubon nature institute with one of the zookeepers. it was AWESOME. im going to share with you some of the highlights in a series of zoo tour posts.

first we parked behind the zoo and waited by a back gate entrance for our tour guide. we were immediately escorted into a very tall metal building, not knowing exactly what to expect. these guys greeted us once we went through a couple locked gates

i have a new appreciation for giraffes. they are like deer that didnt stop growing. you have to be careful with giraffes in captivity though, because if they do the splits on a wet concrete floor they will break.

their grey tongues were about a mile long and felt like sandpaper.

this little guy is actually the largest bird in the world that is capable of flight. he was interested in what was going on with the herbivore biscuits so he came over to check us out. jerry doesnt seem to mind, but holly wasnt impressed. reminded me of THIS.

more of the new orleans zoo tour to come!