Babies at the Zoo

Tampa, Florida: One of the best part of having an annual pass to the Lowry Park Zoo is the spur of the moment trips. Saturday afternoon was one of those days where we decided to just head to the zoo on a whim. I feel each trip is another opportunity to see the animals and hopefully catch some active that may have not been active before. Plus since our last visit, a new orangutan was born and was now in the exhibit with the rest of the family.

When we got to the zoo, it was pretty crowded. However perk number two of the annual pass was skipping all the lines and heading straight into the zoo.  Once inside the gates, we headed straight to the orangutan exhibit to see the baby.

At first once we got there I did not see the baby.  It was kept hidden by its mom in the corner of the exhibit.  But the rest of the orangutan family was full of energy and the toddlers were putting on a show playing with each other.  A few minutes later the zookeeper came with food for the orangutans and I was in the perfect spot.  I had a front row seat for the feed and got a close view of the baby who was born on January 11th.  Once they got their food and headed to separate corners to eat, we continued our zoo adventure.

As we started to hit the Florida boardwalk section of the zoo, we walked by the Red Wolf exhibit.  For some reason, I have never had any luck seeing the Red Wolf.  No matter what time of day or time of year we visit the zoo, he is sleeping in the den.  Today started out no different.  But as we crossed passed his new enclosure and further down the Florida Boardwalk, the wolf left out a loud howl which led me back to the habitat where I was able to get a few pictures of him before he crawled back into he den to take an afternoon nap.

Because of the construction work being done on the new Roaring Springs ride, the Florida Boardwalk is partially closed.  As a result, it is no longer a complete pass-through.  You enter near the Manatees and can go to the black bear but then you have to turn around and go back the way you can.  As a result, we decided to skip this section today and head to Safari Africa to see the second baby we missed last trip.

During our trip earlier this month, it was below 60 degrees and as a result, the baby Pygmy Hippo was not out on exhibit.  Well today was a nice 79 degree Floridian January day so we were hoping to get a chance to see the baby.  At first, like the orangutan, I did not see the baby.  She blended in so well with her mom. But there nestled against the corner of the pool was momma and baby.  They were hard to see as were tucked in into the curve of the pool and the concrete retaining wall.  Zsa Zsa gave birth to her baby on December 1, 2017 and the baby was introduced to the public on December 5. The baby weighed in at about nine pounds and was the fourth baby for Zsa Zsa.  The zoo will be doing a special gender reveal for the baby at a later date.  The pygmy hippos are extremely rare with only 32 in the species survival program.

After seeing the baby hippo, we made our way back through the zoo and made another stop by the orangutans to see if there was anything exciting going on.  But post meal, they were slowing down with many of them napping.

Before leaving, I decided to tour a portion of the zoo I typically skip.  Today we decided to visit two of the free flight aviaries.  For some reason, I skip these on every visit, which I really don't know why because they offer some up close, no barrier photography opportunities.  So the first stop was the Lorikeet Aviary in the Asian Gardens portion of the zoo.  Here you can feed the bright and colorful lorikeets.  From there we headed to the main aviary near the park entrance.  This is the largest of them and is has a bunch of different species to see up close.  There are some real interesting birds in here including the Inca Tern which looks like he has a handle bar mustache and the bright and colorful Nicobar Pigeon that can be found walking along the pathways of the aviary.

At that point, it was time to hit the exit and take the trip home following another great day at the zoo.  I always enjoy a trip to the zoo, even if it is just a short trip, there is never a shortage of cool things to see.   Now only if I can time my trip next time to see the shows.

Lowry Park Zoo is located in Tampa, Florida just a short drive from I-275 at 1101 West Sligh Avenue.  It is opened daily from 9:30 to 5 with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas when they are closed.  Daily admission to the zoo is $34.95 for adults at the gate with discounted rates for children and advanced purchase.  One of the best deals that Lowry Park Zoo is offering right now is to pay a day and get the rest of the year free.

However I chose to purchase the annual pass, by far the best deal for me.  Not only do you get 365 days of free admission to the zoo, you get one free guest per visit, discounts on food and store purchases, preferred parking, admission to special events and discounts at reciprocal zoos throughout the country, a big perk I've already used in the past. 

Whichever pass option you chose, you will have a great time at the zoo.  Until you make it out, be sure to take a virtual tour via my photo gallery by clicking on any of the photos above to view my Lowry Park Zoo photo gallery.