"Rocky Raccoon"

 A visit to the Brevard Zoo always allows me to relax my mind and get rid of stress. Seeing all the animals and plants is my own kind of TM (see title note at end). There were mammals and birds and plants and things, but sad to say there was no Rocky Raccoon. Here are a few of the over 200 photos I took. I know, going through the photos just adds stress, but it is a kind I don't mind too much.

Upon entering the Zoo, the first choice to be made is whether you go left or right.

To the left, in a clockwise circle, will walk you pass the Nyami Nyami River Lodge on to the Expedition Africa. Continuing on the circle will next bring you to Lands of Change, the food/bathroom station, Wild Florida and Rainforest Revealed.  That gets you by the four main expeditions. There is also a small loop called Caribbean Trail, an Aquarium with a swimming area for kids, and the Paws On barnyard.

On my last trip I turned right and went immediately to the Rainforest Revealed. Entry to each of the four major areas is across a bridge over water. Before the bridge I like to stop and check out the orchids. They had a few white ones and a couple purple ones. The variety thru out the year is amazing...

Different workers at the Zoo wear different color shirts. I have notice some changes lately but they do not list anywhere what the colors mean. The Orange/salmon color shirts are the Volunteers and these people will answer any questions you may have. The Blue shirts are the people who keep the place operating. The Green shirts are the keepers and they take care of the animals. I am sure that there may be other colors but... 

One of the keepers was giving a sloth talk while feeding this guy. I have some more pictures and might do a post on this fun time. I don't remember the keeper or the sloth's name.

Just recently the Zoo had an accident with one of the Spider Monkeys. This guy, Sully, only ten months old, got his arm stuck in the metal mesh and they decided that the arm would not heal properly so they did the amputation. That was earlier in the month, and already he is back jumping around the cages. It's his right arm that is gone, but they use their tails as a fifth arm. Watching him swing and eat, you would never think that he was injured. I am sorry the picture is not clearer but this area has glass which likes to reflect other stuff onto the photo.

I was walking through the area and an older man had a service dog and lots of the animals react when it is seen. This baby spider monkey was just very curios...

The cotton topped tamarind was wondering what kind of animal wears a jacket...

The white nosed coati did not really care about the dog. it was having a nice nap in the sun.

One of the favorites in the Rainforest Revealed are the giant otters the siblings Felix and Ophelia. Not sure which one this is.

Next to the giant otters are some species of large fish from the Amazon River. This little boy was so interested his Mom could not get him to leave. BTW, the fish also check out the people.

Looking back from the fish area, you can still watch the giant otter swim around as people watch.

 

In the same area, there is a large covered area with many type of birds and the Black Howler Monkeys. These three ducks were being gathered up by one of the Keepers. The Volunteer lady said they were just keeping their ducks in a row. Ha ha. I think maybe they were doing a count.

In the sam area there are some Macaws that actually get to fly around. I need to go see them in the wild.

The boat-billed herons are new to the area but they are always perched just like this, all three of them. I learned from the Volunteer that they are nocturnal and are very active after dark, and the Zoo is closed. The Zoo  web page says they have night vision cameras which captures the herons activity. That would be fun to see some time.

The capybara was just stopping and smelling the flowers...

The male Black Howler Monkey was not howling, but have me a big yawn...

The next loop is Wild Florida. They have both alligators and crocodiles, and currently two American Bald Eagles. As I was taking this picture, a helicopter was flying over and I took a photo of it. When I turned back, the eagle was also checking it out.

The Zoo now owns the Tree trek Zip lines and paths. This young girl was getting ready to zip.

Sadly, Pepper, the cheetah passed away this past week. She was 16 years old. She originally was in Expedition Africa and them moved to the Rainforest when they started the new Lion display. Then when the Lions moved to their new home, their temporary home in Wild Florida was vacant so Pepper moved there. Now they have this sign up. I just took a photo of her two weeks ago. She will be missed.

Onward to the Lands of Change. Although most people think it is only Australia, the Reeve's Muntjacs are from China. The male has been chasing the female for the past six months.

These two emus were checking out the activities in the Kangaroo loop. You can walk among the animals. Visitors have to stay within the stakes.

This the fominat male Red Kangaroo, Dr. Roolittle. He was showing me his muscles...

They did get three Galapagos tortoises; also in with the kangaroos.

Nice sign in the loop.

Across from the kangaroos there are two aviaries. The Rainbow Lorikeets had just been fed...

The Roseate Spoonbills made a nest and they just hatched three eggs. The non-pink ones are the kids. They hatched around Feb 23. The parents are dad Spork and mom Rosa.

Although it is an aviary, the Krefft’s River Turtle enjoy the water.

A look inside the aviary

One of the two dingos was checking out the watering hole, maybe looking for a way out.

As I was crossing the bridge into Expedition Africa I saw the Siamang Gibbon walking across his area.

The afternoon sun was warm and one of the three Lion brothers was taking a look around. The other two Lions were completely down and asleep.

One of the three rhinos was copying the Lion by lying. If you talk to these guys, you can watch their ears move.

The three rhinos, looking back toward the new Lion's pen.

A Zebra walks into a bar with an Ostrich...

Three of the Zebras were eating below the giraffe feeding area. I almost told the staff they made the area too low for feeding the Zebras, but there was a sadness because the Zoo lost one of their oldest residents, the Reticulated Giraffe Doc. He was 22, and had been one of the original five giraffes in 2003 when Expedition Africa first opened. He will be missed.

The Zoo allows Kayaking around the African loop.

After the Zoo, I am always in a mellow mood so I decided to stop at Frigates in Eau Gallie for a beer or two and some sushi. As I sat at the outdoor bar, I watched more local wildlife. Also, some manmade life like the Brightline train crossing the bridge over the Eau Gallie River.

I became a Jaguar Member at the Zoo this year and I have extra tickets if anyone wants to go to the Zoo. If you go with me, I can bring some guests for free. Let me know if you would like to visit. It was just voted one of the Top 10 Zoos in the US

About Title

"Rocky Raccoon" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles (also known as the White Album). It was primarily written by Paul McCartney, although credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership, and sung by McCartney. McCartney began writing the song in Rishikesh, India, where the Beatles were studying Transcendental Meditation in the early months of 1968. John Lennon and Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan, who joined the Beatles on their retreat, also made contributions to the song.

In Mojo magazine in October 2008, McCartney acknowledged that the style of the song is a pastiche, saying: "I was basically spoofing the folksinger." Lennon attributed the song to McCartney, saying: "Couldn't you guess? Would I have gone to all that trouble about Gideon's Bible and all that stuff?"

The song also became the inspiration for the Marvel Comics character Rocket Raccoon who would later become a fan favorite character.