2010/09/04

Royal Ontario Museum & Toronto Zoo

My friend and I visited the Royal Ontario Museum two days ago. It's a great place to visit as a tourist, plus the building from the outside looks absolutley ridiculous, but keep in mind that it is quite impossible to tour the entire museum in one day, so pick your exhibits wisely.

Infant Buddha
One of the Chinese art pieces that I really like - from the 7th century, Three Kingdoms Period.

Yesterday, I visited the Toronto Zoo by myself. Having spent some time in Taipei Zoo and working behind the scene and along side zookeepers and vets, as well as taking care of animals this summer, I began to view the zoo from a different perspective. I no longer looked at it as a place of just animals in display, but looking at the behaviors of the captive animals, the enclosure set-ups, and sometimes peeking behind the back to see the work areas of the zookeepers.

As always, here are some photos to share. I tried avoiding taking them in their enclosures (omitting or cropping out the wires or fences) and focusing on the animal's behaviors or reactions in their captive environment. Yesterday's weather was nice and cool, with some downpours here and there, so the animals were either sheltering from the rain or taking a nap when the sun came out.

Polar Bear

Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)

Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)

Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)

Grassland Whiptail Lizard - a species composed entirely of females!

Grassland Whiptail Lizard (Cnemidophorus uniparens)

African Lion

African Lion (Panthera leo)

African Lion (Panthera leo)

White (Wide) Rhino

White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum)

Sumatran Tiger - because I was born in the year of the tiger, these magnificent creatures will always have a special place in my heart.

Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae)

Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae)

Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae)

Kookaburra - one of the birds that I really want to see in the wild!

Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae novaeguineae)

Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae novaeguineae)

Moose

American Moose (Alces alces americana)

Wapiti

American Elks (Cervus elaphus canadensis)

Egyptian Goose

Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus)

House Sparrow - a rare wild animal (in the zoo) hanging out near the pig's den in the Kids' Area.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

West Caucasian Tur - he's probably the dominant male because he was on the top of the hill.

West Caucasian Tur (Capra ibex caucasica)

Aoudad young

Barbary Sheep / Aoudad (Ammotragus lervia)

Bactrian Camel

Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus)

Western Grey Kangaroo

Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus melanops)

I just finished doing laundry and (almost) packed my luggage. And the wind is blowing quite hard at the moment. I wonder what should I do for the rest of the half-day (leaving Toronto around 11pm).
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