Adelaide Zoo - Adelaide, Australia

(clipped from Back of Bourke)

Rating:

Variety of animals: 8

Quality of exhibits: 7

Getting around: 8

Pet-factor: 5

Overall: 7

What to see: Two giant pandas on loan from the Beijing Zoo

What to miss: Oddly enough, the native Australian critter exhibit leaves a bit to be desired

* * *

I had a slightly later flight, and a long layover in Adelaide on the way back, so we said our farewells that evening. Now, what was I going to do for 6 hours in Adelaide?

Hint: Visit the zoo!

I stored my bags at the airport and took a taxi to the Adelaide zoo, which I came to found out, was playing host to two pandas on loan from China, Wang Wang and Funi. With names like that, I had expectations of a comedy act or variety show. I got neither. The zoo was pretty fantastic, though, and I spent a few hours wandering around before my taxi back to the airport.

A Barbary sheep...who was actually within

reaching distance...

This alligator was also very nearly within

petting distance. Even I have my limits,

believe it or not.

The freshwater croc looked positively wimpy

by comparison.

A giant tortoise chills in the shade. I envy you;

you are a faceplant away from food.

This guy is a god among meerkats - at least

until another one bothers to climb up there

and push him off.

I don't blame you, pal - it was stinking hot.

It seems a lot of animals had the same idea.

This little critter is a common tree shrew, and

I'm fairly certain the closest thing you'll find to

Scrat from Ice Age.

A gibbon chillin' in a tree - nothing funny about

that.

May cause sporadic breakdancing.

It would seem that when the zoo reaches a

certain temperature, most animals have a

genetic predisposition toward naptime.

Oh bollocks - and I though I was safe in the

water.

They had a petting zoo which I figured I'd check

out. Ok, a goat - aside from the creepy goat

eyes, pretty normal.

What the...?

Needless to say I was pretty stoked to be able

to pet an actual deer. Normally they go

scampering off when you come within 25

miles of them.

"I also enjoy candlelight dinners, reading Jack

Kerouac on a cold afternoon, and stealing your

girlfriend." I think the second box is a CYA

for the fact that they sometimes forget to feed

Claude. "No, he does that from time to time!"

*scoop...bin...*

A lyrebird. If you don't know how cool these

birds are, watch this video. Then watch this one

because it's hilarious.

This really made me miss Disneyland / the

Jungle Cruise ride...

I finally arrived at the Panda exhibit.

Come to think of it, I don't believe I've seen

a panda in person before.

They basically just sat on a massive hoard of

bamboo and chomped away the entire time.

Still, they were amazing to see.