Feeding tall animals and such

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I am going to put it right out there up front . . .  I do not write.  Many of the people who know me well would make the argument that I don’t even read.  I do, however, have a vast collection of relatively useless information floating around in the hat rack I carry on my shoulders.  My friends will not argue otherwise.

For example, where in the United States would you guess the largest collection of reticulated giraffes is?  San Diego Zoo?  I mean it has to be somewhere warm, right?  Disney or Busch Gardens perhaps?  What about San Antonio?  Not even close.  I learned first hand earlier this year that this claim to fame belongs to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  As a side note (you will see my brain has many of these . . . a few of which I will share with you in parentheses), the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is also one of only two zoos in the United States that is built on a mountain.

I find it awesome to have the opportunity to be near large creatures (I also have an inner conflict about zoos that I wont get into here).  In line with that, I am a sucker for feeding wild animals.  That all adds up to me leaving my cushy accommodations at the Broadmoor Hotel (highly recommend it if you are ever in the neighborhood) as soon as I heard that there was a chance to feed giraffes only a short jaunt up the hill from the front door.

So as not to bore anyone with the blow by blow of my giraffe feeding adventures, I have a few pictures to speak for me.  Oddly, looking at the giraffes as they swept the crackers from my hands with their long tongues, it reminded my of my dogs back in Orlando (I can get away with thinking of my dogs while away from home in this circumstance since my wife wouldn’t be pleased to hear that something at the zoo reminded me of her).  I will just say that I had a blast despite feeding the beasts and wandering the mountainside zoo on my own.  I will even throw in a few very cool meerkats for good measure.

There are a few other things I would offer for consideration when in Colorado . . . especially if you are there for the first time as I was.       

One involves driving from Colorado Springs to Denver.  When you notice on your car’s thermometer that the temperature has dropped 15 degrees in the last 20 miles and it has started to snow (in April), make sure you pull aside at the rest stop to get all of that information straight in your head before continuing on.  Trying to comprehend how those circumstances are possible while driving will only take your attention from the road and endanger you and those around you.

When going to the zoo (I told you I enjoy wild creatures) or anywhere outdoors in Denver, always wear the heaviest jacket you have with you.  I understand there is a strong likelihood that the sun will be shining and it will be pleasant when you get out of your car.  I also know that when you fast-forward two hours later, as you approach the big cat exhibits, the skies will go dark, the temperature will drop a dozen degrees, the wind will pick up, and frozen precipitation will fall from the sky.  Most certainly this will coincide with your camera batteries fading to dead as they even refuse to work under those conditions.

Another thing those who know me will not dispute is my love for beer . . . in every form it comes in, as I do not discriminate.  I will offer another bit of advice as you (hopefully) take advantage of the many breweries available in Colorado.  Don’t expect that the person passing out the free samples will let you know that you just chose a beer in excess of 15 percent alcohol as your first drink of the day to carry with you through the tour.  I have absolutely nothing against beers of that potency (see statement above), but it does take you by surprise if you are not prepared.  It can also can taint your palette for the beers to follow and you just cant have that when on a professional beer tasting mission.

One last thing I will pass along that may come in handy if you are ever hiking way up on a mountain without what I would call “the proper attire.”   I suggest you have a walking stick or pole or perhaps a small tree to take along with you to gauge the depth of the snow during your trek.  Once you are a few miles along the trail and you notice that only the top of the stop sign is sticking out of the snow, your brain will tend to freak out a bit trying to figure out how you just walked all that way without falling in up to your chin.  Then once your mind knows how high above the ground you are walking, you will inevitably start to sink in despite having no problems to that point (please reference Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade regarding issues of mind and footing).

That concludes my mind wandering for this evening.  I hope you find this information of some use in your travels.  Good luck and happy animal feeding!