What A Zoo!

Why is it that every employee at the zoo looks the same no matter which zoo you’re visiting?  Seriously, is there some sort of stereotypical typecast that must be met to gain employment at a zoo?  

On a recent trip, I bet I saw 100 zoo employees that all looked exactly the same.  Both males and females had a slender frame, long hair and 3 days growth on their beard.  Every one of them were wearing a hemp bracelet and had a pound of granola in their fanny pack.  I might like to work at a zoo one day, but I’m not sure I could get in.

More interesting to me than the look-a-like zoo crew were the ample opportunities to view parenting at its best. *please note usage of sarcastic italics

I was especially fond of the parents who sat their toddlers up on the railing in front of the orangutan enclosure.  It was as if they were already rehearsing their voice over work explaining their thoughts on the eminent “Animal Planet” reenactment.

Another parenting segment that caught my attention was the super smart amateur zoologist parent.  This parent was great because they knew everything about the animal in question.  They knew how fast it could run and how much power it could produce.  They, with great drama, told their small child how the animal just 10 feet away would kill the child with one move.  This will be the same parent who, in just a few hours, will be frustrated with their child for having a nightmare.  

Not to be outdone was the I’m a better growler than this bear parent.  This guy was standing at the Polar Bear enclosure and was holding a 2 year old.  The Polar Bear was sleeping and this dad wasn’t going to have it.  Hoping to get his money’s worth, this guy growled at the top of his lungs...over and over and over.  The Bear didn’t respond, but the kid got kind of upset, so...

All in all, it was an awesome trip to the zoo.  Below are a few thoughts related to my day.

Top 10 Thoughts While Visiting the Omaha Zoo.

10.  I saw a rabbit running free at the zoo today.  It didn’t bother me; though I probably would have felt differently had it been any other animal at the zoo.

  9.  I was in a room with an 800lb gorilla - everyone is right...that is awkward.

  8.  Saying that the worst part of the zoo is “all of the walking” is ironic because the animals say the exact opposite.

  7.  If someone can keep the “FRI” stamp from washing off their hand for a solid week...they deserve to get in free next Friday.

  6.  Some people pulled out their very best tank top for their trip to the zoo.  Fancy.

  5.  I spent 45 minutes at the extensive car exhibit before I realized that I wasn’t actually inside the zoo yet.

  4.  Seeing a gorilla pick his nose made me think...”I wonder how my uncle Carl is doing these days?”

  3.  The lady working at the Butterfly House had clearly been drinking...for 60 years.

  2.  There is something special about spending $70 on popcorn and 2 icees in commemorative cups.

      And My Number 1 Thought While Visiting 

the Omaha Zoo . . . 

Am I the only one who is too afraid to use the bathroom in the Reptile House?

Thanks for reading.  I hope you enjoyed.

JJ