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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 1, 2017 19:28:06 GMT
I'm sorry, but I am just a big kid so I enjoy a day at the zoo from time to time. Some people are lucky enough to live in Africa or other tropical regions, but many of us just have to make do with a zoo from time to time. Having seen enough of the Paris zoo for the moment, I decided to visit the Zoo de la Flèche near Le Mans last week. It is not the biggest or the best, but in any case Google quickly made it clear that research is not easy. There are more than a hundred zoos in France and there seemed to be just as many websites claiming to have a list of "the best 10 (or 20) zoos in France. There was a Wikipedia article, but it just gave a list of all of the zoos with no information on the size or the number of animals. Not to worry, because I already knew that I wanted to see this specific zoo. It's in the middle of nowhere but still receives about 350,000 visitors a year. Just as a comparison, the Paris zoo "in the middle of everything" gets 900,000 visitors a year after being closed for total renovation between 2008 and 2014, which is a hugely disappointing number because it would require 1.7 million visitors a year to break even. Maybe because the ticket price was raised from 6 euros to 22 euros? The biggest zoo in France -- Beauval -- costs 26 euros and apparently the London Zoo costs 31 euros.
Well, the Zoo de la Flèche costs 23.50 so there are no bargains anymore.
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Out in the country, there is no traffic noise, so that was already a plus. At the Paris zoo, you can hear the roar of the périphérique expressway just a few steps away.
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The Paris zoo no longer has elephants because it was determined that there was not enough space for them to live there decently. So I was happy to see elephants again.
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Okay, that's probably more than enough of the elephants, so on to a different area...
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All kinds of cats are pretty lazy when they have a full stomach.
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more soon... |
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 1, 2017 20:59:15 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 2, 2017 5:03:41 GMT
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Post by questa on Jun 2, 2017 8:05:39 GMT
Lovely pics K2, The little guy with the mane of hair reminds me of...umm...errr some public figure.
Adelaide has a small zoo mainly for breeding threatened species. Visitors are really a sideline
Funny story...Every few metres around the displays are telephones that connect to the main office. Suddenly the phones started to give trouble...good one minute, crackly or dead the next, only to function well again in a few moments. The tech men checked all the cables...all fine. When they came to the giraffe display The keeper commented that she had noticed the Old Man giraffe was staying in one corner of the compound most of the time. They watched him saunter up to the fence where several cables met, wrap his tongue around the electric cable and suck on it. after a few seconds he let go and shook his head and took some wobbly steps.
It seems the Old Man giraffe had become addicted to the 9 volt electric buzz he got from the cable. Higher cables were installed and the phones worked as intended,
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 2, 2017 11:28:32 GMT
Interesting story. It is now generally accepted that zoos are totally necessary to protect certain species even if their living conditions are rather cramped compared to how they would live in the wild. However, they have excellent health care, free room and board and heating when necessary, so if they could vote, I imagine that a lot of them would want to stay. I don't know if it is true of 100% of the zoos in France, but the major ones pride themselves on having absolutely no animals captured in the wild. All of the animals come from other zoos or safari parks in Europe and sometimes even other continents with extreme care regarding the gene pools and such. |
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 2, 2017 14:44:05 GMT
This is fun and you took killer pictures!  The elephants seems to have a decent sized enclosure, but the giraffes's seems small. Is that true, or just the angles at which the pictures were taken. Also, and I can't believe I'm asking this -- I never really fixated on those things on a giraffe's head before. Are they horns? What are they for? Don't agree with you about the kangaroos being boring. They are so improbable! Also, until looking at your pictures I never realized before what their hands are like. I love the tapir. It looks so much like something that should have long since evolved into something else -- like those pictures in children's encyclopedias that say "This is the ancestor of the modern pony" and you're all "no way!" The hippo's teeth are terrible! I thought they were like in cartoons, a bunch of tidy cylinders. I believe hippos are vegetarian, so are the teeth for defense? |
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 2, 2017 15:25:37 GMT
Those front tusks are for fighting. Apparently they have sort of normal molars way back in their mouths for chewing things like carrots. I'm not going to stick my hand down their mouth to find out. Everybody was advised to go to the sea lion show next door. The Paris zoo refuses to do "shows" although they do feedings. The subject is quite debatable, but it seems clear that a lot of zoo animals get really bored in their small world, and some of them are just dying to do something. Well, sea lions are really just big wet dogs, and we all know that dogs love to perform tricks and bask in the attention and praise and receive treats for it, so this seemed like an acceptable show to me. The trainer explained that they can sometimes have temper tantrums or go on strike at certain times, and they completely have the right to do this. But when they are willing to do the show, everybody is happy. |
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Post by onlyMark on Jun 2, 2017 15:41:10 GMT
You may find I've somehow accidentally cut and pasted some of these photos on my next safari report.
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Post by onlyMark on Jun 2, 2017 15:56:23 GMT
P.s. I just had to look what they were called, the giraffe horn thing, because I know they are called something else and are not horns in the general meaning of the word. They are called "ossicones" and are possibly a remnant of something previously used by evolutionary ancestors. Nobody really knows why they have them as they aren't used for anything though there are unproven theories. I think they are just for decoration to make their head look good.
Hippo teeth - as mentioned by the ever knowledgeable K2, are for fighting/defence. They have smaller molar types at the back of their mouth for chewing the food they grasp using their lips. The big teeth are poached by the way, and I don't mean a way of cooking. As I told my daughters, hippos are vegetarian so even though they may kill you, you can seek solace in that they won't swallow you, nor will they particularly enjoy the taste.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 2, 2017 18:17:55 GMT
Shame the seals didn't come out and snatch all those freakin fedoras. They are so unbelievably impressive in the same way that porpoise are, in that they are so lithe and appear to be just one sleek muscle. I appreciate the answers on hippo dentition. I'm assuming the teeth get poached to use as ivory, or ... ? I know meerkats are perennially popular, but I have to say few other animals have an expression with which I so totally identify. They are called "ossicones" *cough* Speaking of cutting and pasting ~ you got that off an Italian menu, didn't you? |
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Post by onlyMark on Jun 2, 2017 18:29:37 GMT
Aww, you guessed.
Yes, for ivory.
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Post by mossie on Jun 2, 2017 18:33:46 GMT
In the thread you posted about 10 last night, why has that emu got its head up the other ones arse?
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 2, 2017 21:14:06 GMT
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Jun 3, 2017 9:06:06 GMT
Oooh I do love a day out at the zoo  altho like everybody else I feel a bit uncomfortable about the concept of cages (no matter how roomy and well thought out). You did well to get such good images too, especially of the big cat. I tend to end up with a pic of myself reflected in the glass! or a blurry vagueness in the foliage that might be an animal.... |
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 3, 2017 14:37:00 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 3, 2017 16:57:29 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 3, 2017 19:50:10 GMT
Such a wonderful report! I think you're right about the sea lions (yes, you had explained it earlier  ) enjoying themselves. As far as Roly the Poly Bear -- I don't know if he's enjoying the human attention so much as the idea he might crunch one of those tender critters between his mighty predator teeth. Maybe red pandas are nocturnal? Yep, dogs have not evolved much from their ancestral wolves. If I saw that fluffy white one at someones house, I'd just assume it was a dog. What are the other, not panda, ringtail creatures -- coatimundi? I love their doggish black noses. I wonder if the grizzlies' water is stocked with fish for them to catch.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 4, 2017 4:41:16 GMT
Yes, those are coatis. Wikipedia says that some of them live as far north as Texas! Thanks everybody for your nice comments, but I know you all realise that photos basically take themselves in a zoo with everything organised to make it as simple as possible. |
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Post by bjd on Jun 4, 2017 5:34:45 GMT
Even though I still think the entrance fee is very high, it certainly is a nice zoo. I do wonder how some of the hot-climate animals feel during the rainy winters there.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 4, 2017 9:55:50 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 4, 2017 12:25:58 GMT
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Post by mossie on Jun 4, 2017 13:01:48 GMT
Some wonderful bird pictures. What are those weird animals in the next couple of shots? We need more commentary.
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Post by questa on Jun 4, 2017 13:37:00 GMT
Judging by the noses, I'd bet they are ant-eaters. Nice Ozzie birds, emus, sulphur crested cockatoo being handled by keeper who may lose a finger from the sharp scissor action beak. In the same shot is a rosella and there are corellas in the cage. I see the have glove-trained some kookaburras too.
As for the peacock...he isn't being arrogant...he just wants a bit of nookie with his peahen.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 4, 2017 14:07:45 GMT
What are those weird animals in the next couple of shots? We need more commentary. Sorry, I am not sure, and I cannot locate my documentation. But they are not anteaters, which are much bigger animals with longer snouts. |
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 4, 2017 14:18:39 GMT
And then I was out the door, after the obligatory passage through the gift shop which prevents you from making a direct exit. I really enjoyed that zoo, so I will return some day, but who knows when? If anybody else has some zoo pictures to post, please feel free to do it here if you do not want to make a separate report. |
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 4, 2017 19:52:32 GMT
Okay, your first wave of pictures were great, but these are beyond outstanding. I love that you went back to some of the animals, as I was kind of sulking about not seeing the grizzlies wrestle the first time around. They're just like playful dogs! That is an extremely impressive bird show and those close-ups of the birds of prey -- wow! The sweet quiet shots are all delightful. Even though some of those creatures would cheerfully tear us apart, it is their nature and sensitive pictures such as yours of them just being themselves helps people to respect other animals. You really need to sell that darling duck with the daisy in its toes to an advertiser or something -- it's a one-off, fabulously unposed money shot! Best of all, it really comes through how much you enjoyed yourself.
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altho like everybody else I feel a bit uncomfortable about the concept of cages (no matter how roomy and well thought out). You did well to get such good images too, especially of the big cat. I tend to end up with a pic of myself reflected in the glass! or a blurry vagueness in the foliage that might be an animal....