Hello, everyone. MommyTime here. I want to thank Kat so much for asking me to guest post today. I'm delighted to be here. And while I have a tendency to write long, it did occur to me that on a Friday it might be nice to give people I've never "met" a less verbose post. So today, I'm focusing on something simple and beautiful: getting up close and personal with astonishing wild animals.
Have you ever been this close to a real live giraffe? Me either.
Until last weekend.
I took these photos without a fancy telephoto lens or anything except the built-in zoom on my regular camera. I was at the Vilas Zoo in Madison, WI, where the only thing separating the people from the giraffes is a 3 foot high wrought iron fence, a few feet of bare space, and a slightly higher wooden rail fence -- so low that the giraffes have to scrunch and scooch to reach down over it to nibble tasty weeds.
Giraffes have long been my favorite animal -- so graceful, peaceful, gorgeous in their long-limbed loping walk. I was delighted and awed to be able to look this one right in the eyes, to watch it quietly munching on a sunny fall day...
...and to watch it watching me back.
I have no idea what giraffes think about all day long. But I'm pretty sure this one wants to know when I'm going to stop taking photos and start handing over something better tasting than a thistle.
I know there are many people who argue that large animals shouldn't be kept in zoos, but I have to say that this animal encounter was the most wondrous I've ever had. Looking eye to eye with a giraffe for a long quiet moment is priceless.
Really, isn't that one of the most amazing faces you've ever seen?
Wishing you a weekend full of wonder...
MommyTime.
Art mystery possibly solved?
1 day ago
6 comments:
Giraffes are among my favorites, too. The photo's are great. I know it must have been a thrill for you.
Have you seen the pictures of the baby giraffe that was born 2 weeks premature last year at the Chester Zoo in the UK. It had to be bottle fed. The photo's are so cool. I can't seem to locate the full series of photos, but you can find many of them by doing a Google image search for 'baby giraffe chester zoo'.
I LOVE giraffes! They are so beautiful and just amazing looking! Great pictures.
Zoos can be so bittersweet, can't they? It's hard to see any animal caged but when else am I going to see those beautiful lions and polar bears?
I made this comment on your site, as well - but it's worth repeating. I got licked by a giraffe once. EEEWWWW Slobbers!!! And they have a huge, purple tongue!!
I too am a fan of giraffes. There is just something about them. We had a baby born at the Milwaukee zoo a few years ago and I loved going to look at him wobble around :)
Thank you, all, for your comments. Amy, you sound just like me raving about how wonderful they are. :) I so appreciate it.
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