The Zoo

I have heard talk of how much Dresden has changed lately, and I guess when you are thinking about the new malls, the new bridge that is getting finished and is just waiting to be put onto the Elbe, new supermarkets, fixed streets, and that sort of stuff, a lot has happened. My favorite change, though, has to be the addition of giraffes at the zoo.
































































The giraffe house was under construction the last time we visited the zoo, and now it is completed. I have to admit, I have never been such a fan of giraffes. I had nothing against them, but I have always had more of an affinity to monkeys and big cats. However, on our first trip to the zoo this year, Wilhelm was completely enthused by the giraffes. We went again yesterday, and the giraffe house was again his main focus. Maybe it's because the giraffes are so tall and graceful, maybe it's because they seem quite peaceful, almost floating around on their long legs with their long necks and funny heads on top. On a trip to the Munich zoo when Wilhelm was just one and a half, we were looking at the lions behind their glass wall, and the male lion stood up and approached Wilhelm, in his eyes probably a tender little morsel, behind the glass. Even though the lion wasn't moving quickly, and certainly couldn't get him, Wilhelm screamed, ran to me, and wanted nothing to do with any lions. He recognized that this was an interested carnivore. Perhaps he likes the giraffes because they don't want to eat him.
























The mandrills. I like these goofy apes, especially the baby with it's big, round eyes and crazed expression.



















"Achtung, achtung, er guckt!" (Attention, attention, he's looking!) This is what Wilhelm said when this silly bird popped his head up over the wall. This bird seems to have some psychological damage from living in the zoo. It's main occupation is to run back and forth behind this wall, popping its head up from time to time. Especially funny is when the viewer is eating something, because then it gets very interested, and almost frantic. Wilhelm had a tofu wiener in his hand, and the bird sprinted over to him, much to Wilhelm's amusement, and started stretching its head over the wall. Wilhelm is a bright boy though, laughed at the bird and made a quick step back.