LA Zoo

To prove that we do know how to dress appropriately, I want to show some pictures of our visit to the LA Zoo before freezing our buns off at the foggy Getty Center.

Many people are not aware of the obscene amounts of money spent throwing children's birthday parties among the upper middle class and rich. It's hard to go against the tide. But, we have a friend who did the math and figured out it was much better value to donate the same amount of money to the LA Zoo and then use the private tours as a birthday party substitute. It's a much better use of money because his donation helps other people's kids (school tour groups) attend the zoo for free.

This means we get to go to the zoo before the general public and go behind the scenes.  We were all fascinated by creepy crawlies like the snakes.  How do you change the food and water for a venomous snake?  This staffer showed us how.  (Very carefully and with the right tools.)

I especially enjoyed seeing the Komodo dragons before the arrival of the usual Saturday crowds.

The highlight was a private meeting with the twin adolescent tigers.

Close enough encounter for you?

I learned firsthand how quick and silent they could be when I leaned in to see a plaything, a yoga ball, while they were in an adjacent cage.  The smaller and normally less aggressive tiger ran through the gate between the cages and charged to force me to back off.  Once I stepped back, he became quite mellow.