Tag Archives: giraffe pictures

Giant Panda at the San Diego Zoo May 2013

San Diego Zoo wildlife

San Diego Zoo logo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Yesterday was International Rabbit Day, which reminded me that I have not taken y’all to the San Diego Zoo with me recently. So here ya go!

Giant PandaGiant Panda at the San Diego Zoo May 2013

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Lion-tailed macaqueLion-tailed macaque at the San Diego Zoo May 2013

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Takin (baby)Baby takin at the San Diego Zoo May 2013

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Guenons and otterGuenons and otter at the San Diego Zoo May 2013

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Guenon (?) eatingGuenon at the San Diego Zoo May 2013

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Freshwater crocodiles sunningFreshwater crocodiles at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Turtles sunning (and two baby mallards)Turtles at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Giraffe eatingGiraffe at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Meerkat sentryMeerkat sentry at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

GuanacoGuanaco at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Jaguar (mommy)Jaguar at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Koala mommy and joeyKoala mommy and joey at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Cuvier’s gazelleCuvier's gazelle at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

LlamaLlama at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Baby takins playing

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Flamingos at the height of nesting season

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

This post approved by Zoey the Cool Cat

Looking for real estate services in San Diego County?
I can highly recommend
James Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award, BRE #01458572

If you’re looking for a home inspector,
I recommend Russel Ray — that’s me!

Real Estate Solutions

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Masai Giraffe at the San Diego Zoo

Happy anniversary to……….me!

San Diego Zoo logo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Today is the 19th anniversary of Jim and me meeting. I was working in Detroit as a consultant in the wireless telecommunications industry. My client flew me home to San Diego every other week, and Memorial Day weekend in 1994 was my second trip home that May. I took two days of PTO (paid time off) so I could come home Wednesday night and go to the Men’s Coming Out Support Group at the Gay & Lesbian Center of San Diego, which is where Jim and I met. Imagine what might not have happened if I had not used those two days of PTO!

Jim and I are going to Pasadena today, mainly to visit the Norton Simon Museum but I’m sure we’ll also get to the Rose Bowl, Pasadena City Hall, and the Pasadena Railroad Station. I was last at the Rose Bowl in 1978. That’s when I found out that it had 77 rows of seats, a great number since I was Class of ’77 at Texas A&M University (Aggies will understand that).

My neighbors across the street are going to keep an eye on our place while we’re gone, as well as come in a couple of times to check on Zoey the Cool Cat. Sure, Zoey the Cool Cat will miss us, but she’ll get over it as soon as I get back and give her food and tummy rubs, and let her sleep on me.

I won’t be able to make it to the San Diego Zoo today, so I’ll let y’all go for me. Have fun!

Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus)
The largest of all the kangaroos
and the largest mammal native to Australia.

Red Kangaroo at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Masai Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi)
The tallest land mammal

Masai Giraffe at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Sleeping mama Jaguar (Panthera onca)
The largest feline in the Western hemisphere.
This one has two cubs that are each a year old.

Jaguar at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Meerkat (Suricata suricatta)
How come all these animals are sleeping?
Must be nice to sleep all day.

Meerkat at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)
The largest North American land bird.

California Condor at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Dromedary Camel (Camelus dromedarius)
Camel poop makes great fertilizer and fuel!
(Again with the sleeping animals!)

Dromedary Camel at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Mexican Fireleg Tarantula (Brachypelma boehmei)
Gets to six inches in size and
flicks barbed bristles (called urticating hairs) when irritated.

Mexican Fireleg Tarantula

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Sleeping(!) Guanaco (Lama guanicoe)
Guanaco spit when threatened.

Guanaco at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)
Mama and two little ones.
The largest rodent in the world.

Capybara at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Eating Jaguar
This is one of the cubs from mommy above.

Jaguar at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Female African Lion (Panthera leo)
Sleeping. Duh.
Second-largest living cat; tigers are bigger.

Female African Lion at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)
Nickname is “skunk wolf” because its mane has a distinctive odor.

Maned Wolf at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)
Sleeping, of course.
The polar bear was the mascot of the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, Canada.

Polar Bear at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

The End

Polar Bear at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

I’m Zoey the Cool Cat,
and I approve this post.Zoey the Cool Cat

Looking for real estate services in San Diego County?
I can highly recommend
James Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award, DRE #01458572

If you’re looking for a home inspector,
I recommend Russel Ray — that’s me!Real Estate Solutions

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Giraffe at the San Diego zoo

Just when you think you have it all figured out

Picture of the Moment

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Giraffes have such long necks that it never occurred to me that they might have a problem drinking water from a watering hole.

They do, though!

It’s because of their long legs, which don’t bend as easily as we might think.

Thus, when a giraffe gets a little thirsty, it has to improvise, as the middle giraffe in the picture below is doing.

Giraffe getting a drink of water

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Now if that doesn’t look awkward!

It also happens to put the giraffe in a vulnerable position for its predators since it takes a little while for the giraffe to recover to an upright position for running. Giraffes can run at up to 37 mph in a sprint, and can average 31 mph over several kilometers, but not when they are all bent out of shape like that!

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

I'm Zoey the Cool Cat, and I approve this post

Looking for real estate services in San Diego County?
I can highly recommend
James Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award, DRE #01458572

If you’re looking for a home inspector,
I recommend Russel Ray — that’s me!Real Estate Solutions

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Gao Gao, giant panda at the San Diego Zoo

Look what happens when I play Docent

San Diego Zoo logo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Early this morning I met a virtual friend at the San Diego Zoo and spent two hours traipsing around playing Docent for a Day. (Remember that if you ever come to San Diego, call me because I might have free tickets to the Zoo, Safari Park, or SeaWorld, and with enough warning, I’m always happy to play Docent for a Day.)

The Zoo animals were particularly active and photogenic this morning, which always makes me feel good because I don’t want to docent (!) someone around the Zoo and see empty cages of hiding animals.

Maybe the animals know when I’m playing Docent for a Day and that they have to be on their best and most photogenic behavior………….

Here are a few of the great pictures I got this morning in just two hours:

Flamingo chick at the San Diego Zoo

One-month old flamingo chick at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Mandrill at the San Diego Zoo

Mandrill at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Wolf's Guenon at the San Diego Zoo

Wolf’s Guenon at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Malayan tiger at the San Diego Zoo

Malayan tiger at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Malayan tigers at the San Diego Zoo

Malayan tigers at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Malayan tigers at the San Diego Zoo

Malayan tigers at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Monkey and otter playing at the San Diego Zoo

Monkey and otter playing at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Takin at the San Diego Zoo

Takin at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Mang Mountain pit viper at the San Diego Zoo

Mang Mountain pit viper at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Gao Gao, giant panda at the San Diego Zoo

Gao Gao, giant panda at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Chinese snow leopard at the San Diego Zoo

Chinese snow leopard at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

New Guinea Singing Dog at the San Diego Zoo

New Guinea Singing Dog at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Bactrian Camel at the San Diego Zoo

Bactrian Camel at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Buerger's Tree Kangaroo at the San Diego Zoo

Buerger’s Tree Kangaroo at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

Giraffe at the San Diego Zoo

Giraffe at the San Diego Zoo

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

I'm Zoey the Cool Cat, and I approve this post

Looking for real estate services in San Diego County?
I recommend
James Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award, DRE #01458572

If you’re looking for a home inspector,
I recommend Russel Ray — that’s me!

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos