African Savanna

5/7/19 Dave the giraffe

One of our favorite ways to welcome long-awaited spring weather is to visit Woodland Park Zoo. We knew we wouldn’t be able to see the new baby giraffe that was born a couple of weeks ago (he has a problem with his rear fetlocks and isn’t out for public viewing yet), but seeing his photos in the local news reminded us that we hadn’t visited since last fall. His father Dave was outside feeding, and I managed to capture a sketch of his amazingly long, black tongue! That agile tongue is able to curl around leaves he can barely reach and pull them into his mouth.

We spent most of our time in the African Savanna, where the hippos are my favorites. I was trying to capture a quick gesture of the enormous girth of one resident, but despite her size (weighing more than a ton!), she moved quickly into the pool. Partially submerged, she basked comfortably in the sun, so I had more time.

Hippo

In the Savanna Aviary, we encountered numerous white-headed buffalo weavers, mouse birds, white-faced whistling ducks and a bright yellow finch (I forgot its exact name) that were all relatively fearless of visitors. I think all the time that I’ve put in at our own bird feeder paid off as I sketched a weaver at close range.

Buffalo weaver