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We needed a little Christmas . . .
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We like puns. Apparently, so does the San Deigo Zoo
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Aha - the bells! They played in the evenings, after we left for home
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Flamingos are fun to watch, but don't smell so good
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The color comes from their diet - mostly shrimp. See - you are what you eat
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The zoo is also a marvelous horticultural collection, with beautiful blooms
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Suppose his mama loves his face?
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Great coloration
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Tigers are fascinating. This one's the very rare Malayan Tiger from the Malay peninsula
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Don't try this with a real hippo.
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The skyway is a great way to get from one end of the zoo to the other
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We all get ear hair as we age . . . but this is ridiculous
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A typical snowbird Christmas photo . . . .
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Some of these Asian birds are very colorful
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African eagle - with a beak to intimidate anybody
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They say no two zebras have the exact same stripes
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Is he turning up his nose at us? He is! Isn't he?
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Not sure what he's finding to eat
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A Christmas Photo Setting outside the Polar Bear enclosure
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Polar Bears look so cuddly, but we know better . . .
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Awww . . .
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Being able to see both above and below the waterline is special
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Most of the antelope species seem so delicate.
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Even antelope play "Sooo Big"
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Balboa Park's California Bell Tower was built in 1914 for the Panama-California Exposition, celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal.
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The zoo view from the aerial tramway is pretty neat
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Her name is Ruby. She hangs around one of the restaurants. She thinks she's dainty.
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Koalas are fascinating
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They sleep a lot. Other times they nap.
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There were nine females with joeys in pouch in this compound
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That's the size of the Koala Joey at birth
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This lady woke up just for us
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Then she waved at us . . .
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A double-wave
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And then she starts to doze off . . . .
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These African porcupines are very showy, and obviously know which end is safe to approach
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The zoo's bird show is always fun
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Most of the birds are free to fly, including this marvelous owl
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Pigmy Hippos are not all that small, except compared to other hippos
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Never saw an alligator from that angle before
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Not exactly a lady-like pose
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The zoo has two gorilla families, and they rotate them through the exhibit
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This is the matriarch
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And the patriarch
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And, of course, the next generation
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A non-insurance Gecko hanging out on a piece of glass
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Pretty birds
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Late in the day, we could better see some of the decorations
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This little Cape Blue Duiker was relaxing inside a hollow log
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The Himalayan Takin is a Goat-Antelope, distantly related to the sheep, and is the national animal of Bhutan
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Some believe the Takin is the animal featured in Greek mythology's story of the Golden Fleece
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This is the newest exhibit area at the San Diego Zoo
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It highlights the animals that lived around here thousands of years ago, and their closest current relatives
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While the exhibit is mostly elephants, there are other habitats
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R.O.U.S. - the South American Capybara is the biggest rodent of all
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Llook! A llady llama
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Asian elephants have smaller ears than their African relatives
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These recently adopted elephants are still being trained and oriented
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The Secretary Bird is about 4ft tall, and knows he is very impressive
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Extinct animals like this eagle are represented by life-size statues. The bald one is alive . . .
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We think this tree has aspirations to become an owl
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Dromedary camel, similar to (but smaller than) those that were once native to this area
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California Condor, with a 9ft wingspan. Impressive bird
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Black head identifies an immature bird
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Pink head is a mature bird
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Bloody beak is a well-fed bird
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Meerkats almost never smile . . .
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The Klipspringer stands on its toes, and can make a standing jump up to 25ft high
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Mongoose. Not a single cobra in sight, either
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Hummingbirds sometimes stop humming and just perch, like this one
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Such an impressive plant - unlabled, but memorable
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Wonder what she's saying to us?
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Talk about your strange body shapes.
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It was almost impossible to capture this baby antelope feeding. This baby one was only about 10" tall
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An otter not moving - a very rare moment
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A Sun Bear from Southeast Asia. This one was very active.
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Probably the most popular animal in the zoo - it actually had a waiting line.
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The orangutans were being "frisky" . . .
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It was almost like they were giving each other directions . . .
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You might say they were real swingers . . .
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We also went to Escondido for the "other" San Diego Zoo
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Quite possibly the scruffiest rosiate spoonbill we've ever seen
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Lots of birds seem to scowl. This one's an African hawk that looks like an owl
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Most of the birds in the park - like this heron - are locals who hang around for the food
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These egrets in breeding plumage are also locals who like the neighborhood
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Pelicans and cormorants compete for nest space
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A marvelous bird is the pelican . . . this one's a Pink-Backed Pelican from Africa
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Suppose he's even a little bit happy?
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This younger male was said to be the group's troublemaker
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The gorilla enclosure seemed quite nice to us. Not sure how the gorillas see it
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Seeing how he measures up . . .
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For $20 you could ride the tethered balloon 500ft up for a great view.
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The Wild animal Park had their bird show, and it was fun
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The free-flight birds, like this magnificent Harris Hawk, often flew directly over the audience
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There are about 1800 acres in the Wild Animal Park. We covered just a fraction . . .
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The enclosures are very natural-looking while still protecting the animals
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Suppose he can see the antelope across the way?
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If you weigh under 250 lbs, you can buy a Segway tour . . .
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This male Northern White Rhino was romantically inclined
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But these female Southern White Rhinos could care less . . .
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You pay a lot extra to ride the Photo Safari truck and get up close and personal
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Those Oryx horns are quite fragile, and often get broken - and they don't grow back
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Almost like being in Africa
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They say it's the only domestic animal in the zoo - an African Ankole, or Watusi Steer
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With this much space, they can display whole herds of animals
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Bet a lot of the captive birds looked up too . . .
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It's always fun to ride the tram around the park
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Don't forget to stop to smell - and photograph - the flowers
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Grooming is a popular pastime among the primates
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We got there too late for the barbeque . . .
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Don't know what the Hornbill's air scoop does . .
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Bad toupee?
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Yellow-billed stork from Africa. Also orange-faced, pink-legged . . . .
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Great eyes . . .
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They say it's camouflage on the Okapi's lower extremities
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These guys are the Southern Gerenuk from Western Africa
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Admire it from a distance
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Love those horns
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The zoo does a great job of disguising feeding troughs as stumps, logs and rocks
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Great face
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Years ago when we were here, this ride was on a monorail
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The Rhinos are such improbable-looking creatures
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These guys are colorblind, so think they're well hidden against that antelope-colored grass
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Elephants are always impressive
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These park staffers are being trained on the zip line. They're getting paid for this!
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The breeding plumage on the egret is so delicate
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Sometimes the people path isn't less traveled
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We'll end on these adorable Meerkats, posing just for us