Sunday at the Zoo

Eric and I decided we needed some excersise and fresh air. A trip to the zoo is the kids favorite pass time so we put on our extra pants and gloves and headed up to the zoo. Now there is one problem with a zoo that has only "local animals" in Alaska...the owls...asleep but of course it is day time. The bears...asleep...no signs of prints in their pens... the Elephant flew south last fall and the siberian tigers were euthanised when the kid in San Diego had to play with the kitties. So we saw...Ravens...every empty cage had an injured raven in it....we saw Eagles...they have been there since 1973...we saw a camel...with two humps and his alpaca friends. Moose...not nearly as cool as when they are rubbing noses with Josh on the front porch....and of course the musk ox and Yaks...but the kids say they stink. So it was the Polar Bears fighting over a kayak...yes they had a kayak...and they were not sharing it well as they drug it around looking for just the right entry point to the pool....think they were going to use it as a sled. The seal and otter exhibit is now open in it's new home and we had the pleasure of making out with a harbor seal...tongue and all....friendly little guy he was...not sure if his pen mate was dead or asleep...anyone know if seals sleep under water? For fifteen minutes he did not move just lay on the bottom of the pool in one spot with his head tucked under his flippers. One little otter was playing in and out of the water...smooth swimmers they are and he was just having a ball...guess he knew he had to put on a show as all the other animals were asleep for the winter...wolverines hibernate?? Ok the porky pines were having a snack of oranges and corn on the cob...they seemed content in their little pen with their fresh fruit and vegis...I want a porky pine! So that was the zoo. The kids had a lot of fun and several others with children their size were working their way around the zoo too so they had friends to talk to. Just one question...when do the animals wake up?? The zoo keepers told me once that the bears hibernate in their dens and the black bear could be seen sleeping in a hole she dug under a tree...she looked cozy...wish I could be there when she finally pokes her head out to see if it is spring. Are they on a different schedule in the zoo...or are all bears still asleep this time of year?