First visit to Zoo since Pandemic

Since retirement, I have been a seasonal member at Brevard Zoo. But with the pandemic, they were close for a long time and now have strict guidelines for visitors. One new rule, you have to reserve a time for entry. They allow a lot of people each hour but to get in, you have to have the reservation. Being a member, there still is no cost for entry. Another new rule, you must wear masks in certain areas. I am use to that so no big problem.

First stop was Expedition Africa. As I was entering the area I saw that the Siamang Gibbons were out. The female (in photo) was eating along the river. The male was higher on the bank, scratching his butt and waiting for the baseball game to start..

I stopped and saw the meerkats, but already having a large collection of photos, I decided to move on. As I was crossing the bridge to get to Expedition Africa, I saw that the Marabou Stork was hiding behind a palm frond. His pink gular sac seemed longer than I remember...The Latin species name is Leptotilos crumenifer. Cruminferus means "carrier of a pouch for money".

The cheetahs were not to be seen. I told the worker at the kayak rental that the cheetahs were running so fast today that you could not see them. I guess if I wanted to see them I should have rented a kayak.

Another change I immediately saw was that the Zebras were not with the rhinos. Instead, the scimitar oryx (aka Sahara Oryx) were in the large pen. Two of the rhinos are under the tree (it was hot in the sun today) and the third was eating in the lower left. You can barely see it...

Here is the herd of the scimitar-horned oryx, a type of antelope. Usually, they are located at the area behind the Ring-tailed lemurs which is only viewed by kayaks and the train.

In 2000, the oryx went extinct in the wild but a reintroduction of a small herd in Chad in 2016 has been successful. Their horns are really long and I did see one of them scratching his back while lying on the ground. I wonder if they ever poke themselves.

Another change is that they have cleared the trees for the giraffes. I like the idea because they have shade and they stay close to where the feeding area is. Here are two of the kids with an adult amongst the trees.

The ostrich, which is usually with the oryx, was also in the pen with the giraffes. I think there is more than this one ostrich but it is all I saw today.

I found this funny, one of the rhinos stood up and rested his chin on the back of the other. I think he had an itch but I did not stick around to see what kind of itch...

Since the oryx were with the rhinos, they have moved the Zebras in with the giraffes. They definitely have a lot more grass here for grazing. These are Grevy's zebras.

It is always fun to take photos of the giraffes...

The reticulated giraffe had just gotten a mouthful of hay. Unlike the Northern giraffes above, the spots on this species of giraffe are separated by a nice white line, like grout between tiles.

The impalas were in their usual spot. I think they were discussing the invasion by the zebras.

Okay, one more photo of a giraffe. How cute, this little girl is hand-feeding a lettuce leaf to one of the adults. She was really good and did NOT touch the giraffe like the sign says.

I mentioned the oryx scratching his back, he is the one on the left. 

The Southern Ground Hornbill was looking good...

One of the newer members at the Zoo is this Klipspringer that was born on August 23. His name is Jack and his mom is named Deborah and was sired by Ajabu.

That is Jack in the background. Mom was hidden behind the rocks to the right and Dad was proudly protecting his new son, high on the rocks. They are a type of antelope.

I finally left Expedition Africa and stopped to take this great photo of a military macaw. This was near the entrance to the Land of Change. It was too hot for a visit so I headed towards Wild Florida which has more shade. Next post will include photos from that area...