Women Who Wine: Behind the Scenes at the Zoo

Whatever Zola wants, Zola gets...

The sun and warmer weather finally arrived for our trip at the zoo. There were 10 ladies who attended the event, hosted by Daryl. We were greeted at the gate by our private guide. We had three stops on our tour: feed meal worms to the anteater, pet a rhino and feed carrots to the giraffes. The giraffes were the most attentive animals while Yebonga, the rhino took a nap and Zola, the anteater, could barely take her mind off the male in the next enclosure.

BUT the elephants made our day!

After enjoying the zoo, we made our way to Congress Street for lunch at The Hub. Sandwiches and salads the size of platters. Lots of to go boxes!

LtoR - Pam, Susie, Ruth, Daryl, Kelly, Judy, Carole, Debbie, Connie
Photo opportunity at the entrance to the zoo.

LtoR - Pam, Susie, Ruth, Vicky, Kelly, Judy, Carole, Debbie, Connie

Aldabra Tortoise grazin' in the grass

Mr. Handsome...hey big fella!

Yebonga, the Rhino was one of our stops on our tour. She wasn't about to rouse herself from her nap to come over for a pat from a group of strange ladies. At 45 years of age, she preferred to nap. On the first great weather day for about a week, who would blame her?

Yebonga, the Rhino taking a nap

An endangered Speke’s gazelle housed in the same enclosure as the Rhino. The Speke's gazelle is the smallest type of gazelle. One was buy butting his head against a branch. Preparing for the summer games?

Speke’s gazelle

Connie feeding a carrot to a Giraffe. No kissing for Connie!

Ruth tries her hand at carrot feeding.

Judy's Giraffe really wants that carrot!
A giraffe’s L-O-N-G tongue (18 to 20 inches) is black.
Some scientists think this helps keep the tongue from getting sunburned.

Finally! Zola came to a gate in her enclosure for some meal worms. She was very busy thinking about her boyfriend in the next pen to even come close enough to our group the first time through so we tried again. Carole feeding meal worms to her new friend.

Carole feeding meal worms to Zola

Kelly is a country girl at heart.
Look at the pro at work!
Animal trainer material!

After our private tour we congregated at the elephant enclosure and were treated to the baby elephant's mud bath.

Five elephants arrived from San Diego Zoo Safari Park in February, 2012. Mabu is a mature male; Semba and Lungile are mature females. Punga (son of Mabu and Semba) was born in 2007, and Sundzu (son of Mabu and Semba) was born in 2010. A baby female elephant, Nandi (daughter of Mabu and Semba), the first born in Arizona, was born at 10:55 p.m. on August 20, 2014.

Reid Park Zoo's 13,000 pound bull elephant, Mabu, returned to the zoo's herd earlier in February after a two-year stay in San Diego for breeding purposes.