Perth Zoo

The faculty at Murdoch University went on strike today, so I had my classes (including a take home exam) cancelled today. I made good use of my time and went to the Perth Zoo. It was half off admission for adults and swarming with school groups. I always find it hard to go somewhere where there are a lot of families when I am away from mine, but I keep them in my mind and heart as I tour around. Overall, there is much less fencing and separation between zoo guests and animals compared to in the states. As with every other wild life park here, the kangaroos are free to hop right up to you and say g'day. It never gets old , I promise you. I was taken aback by the size of the crocodile they had on exhibit. Apparently, it can get twice as big in the wild if it has the food resources. This male was taken out of the wild because it was too aggressive. It was eating female crocodiles in its group, a rare behavior only seen in the most vicious of crocs. I was fearful of the creature, and we were separated by glass. The other great giant of the zoo was the pelican. I had no idea how big they were, I had lunch by their lake and watched them preen themselves. They were beautiful. Something rare at the Perth Zoo is that during the day they take their elephants out for walks around the zoo. It keeps them fit and allows people to pet the animal. I didn't see them out while I was there, but the elephants certainly weren't in their cage either. Two interesting animals I saw were the Tasmanian Devil and the Numbat. Both have sad stories and face extinction very soon. Devils suffer from facial tumors that are very deadly, and will only be in captivity 15 years from now. Numbats are the mammal of Western Australia, and because they are so shy hiding in one type of tree, their habitats are ruined. The final special animal was the black cockatoo, who can only be seen in this part of Australia. They were very chatty! I hope you enjoy the pictures. I am attaching some videos so you can see the devils eating and playing, as well as the numbat running about. This weekend I am going to Bunbury, WA. More beautiful ocean pictures to come!

Numbat video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpVN-kDneW

Tasmanian Devils

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU44KwIfBXM