Our day trip to the Buffalo Zoo!

This past Friday my daughter and I were looking for something fun to do and the weather was perfect to spend the afternoon outside.  I love taking long walks and my daughter really enjoys the zoo.  This is an ocelot that was in the Rainforest Falls exhibit.  Ocelots weigh between 17-24 pounds and stand between 16-20 inches tall. 

Also in the Rainforest Falls exhibit there was a cave inhabited by vampire bats.  The bat shown below would fly around, and come back to this small area and peer out at us from the other side of the glass.  He was a very entertaining little fellow.  These creatures feed on blood, but they rarely attack humans.  Horses, cattle, and other livestock is what they usually feed on.





My daughter got a kick out of the anteaters which were also part of the Rainforest Falls exhibit.  This little guy paced back and forth while we were watching.  I wondered whether this was typical behavior for the species.  I read that the "pacing" we observed at the zoo may actually be a feature of an animals normal behavior.  In the wild it would be as if the anteater was wondering the pampas in search of termite mounds.

Here is a White-faced saki monkey staring out at us as we made our way around the final part of the Rainforest Falls exhibit.  A pair will often mate for life.  They are very devoted and will strengthen their bond by grooming one another.

This is a spotted hyena, it was very sleepy and taking a nap when we passed by the exhibit.



We loved watching the otters.  They reminded me of little children frolicking in the water and playing amongst themselves.  They were a hoot to watch.

The otters were my daughter's favorite attraction at the zoo.

This male lion was very active during our visit.  Someone mentioned that he was waiting to be fed.  He was banging at the window below and was being very vocal. 

This picture reminds me of the expression "lazy lion". 

This tiger was pacing in circles.

He must have been getting hot and wanting to cool down.  Because shortly after this picture was taken he climbed into a pool of water and relaxed.

The meerkat exhibit was interesting to observe.  I read that this species exhibits "cooperative" behaviors in which each individual plays an important role.  Meerkats are found in Southern Africa and live in groups consisting of 5-30 individuals.

It was amusing to watch several of them play with this plastic red toy. 

The gorillas are located in the Zoo's Main Animal Building.  They are the largest members of the primate family and range in size from 4 to 6 feet while their weight ranges from 150 to 450 pounds.  The males of the species tend to be larger than the females.

We enjoyed a very beautiful day at the Buffalo Zoo.  This was a special treat for the both of us as the end of the summer is approaching quickly.  I will miss the time we have spent enjoying the more mild weather outdoors.