I tend to avoid places where large numbers of people
congregate, especially when the weather is hot and muggy and there is risk of
bumping up against sweaty strangers.
Despite my aversion to large, smelly crowds, my wife, our
two boys and I braved the Calgary Zoo last weekend for a day trip with some old
friends and their two small children.
We arrived at about 10 a.m. and joined a line of several
hundred people at the admission gates, which I must admit, moved with impressive
efficiency. Once inside, all four kids needed a bathroom stop – the first of
many that day. With that business out of the way, we began our jolly adventure
with a stroll through the zoo’s Eurasia loop.
The first star animal we came across was a rhinoceros, who
sluggishly snacked on hay while enthusiastic zoo-goers photographers crowded
the fence like paparazzi at a Jennifer Lawrence movie premiere. While I
marvelled at the rhino’s thick skin and massive head, the kids quickly became
bored and bolted off ahead to see the Komodo Dragons.
“Whoa! Awesome! Cool! Look Mommy! What is that thing?” Then
off to the next animal. Repeat that about 40 times and you have a fairly
accurate snapshot of our day.
Having been promised tigers on the drive to Calgary, our
three-year-old, Grayson, stopped at every paddock and searched the foliage for
tigers. If some other animal happened to occupy the area – such as a monkey or
a wild boar – Grayson would inform us that the inhabitants would soon be eaten
when the tigers arrived.
When we finally found the tigers, kids were decidedly
underwhelmed, as the big cats were enjoying an afternoon snooze in the shade.
At lunch, we jammed our party of eight into a table at the
Kitamba Cafe and scarfed some overpriced chicken fingers, changed diapers,
wiped noses and headed back into the fray.
Next up was Destination Africa, where were we waded through
a dense crowd of humanity to catch a fleeting glimpse of the hippos, who were chewing
up three-foot slaps of tree bark as if it was beef jerky. The African loop also
includes zebras, or as Grayson calls them, ‘tiger donkeys.’
After a quick and forgettable lap through the Canadian Wilds
– and at least two more bathroom breaks – we circled back to the
much-anticipated Penguin Plunge. If you’re able to tolerate the powerful stench
of rotting fish and penguin poop, the Penguin Plunge is a super-cool
attraction. Having never seen a penguin up close and personal, I was fascinated
to watch through the glass as they swam just inches away, chasing each other
around and snatching up fish from the bottom of the tanks.
After seeing the penguins, we had just one more stop before
our adventure concluded; the dreaded gift shop. The boys were each allowed to
pick one small, inexpensive item that reminded them of the zoo. After a couple
rejected items and tantrums, Rylan, our one-year-old, developed an instant and
powerful attachment to a stuffed Komodo Dragon, while Grayson chose a robotic
toy fish.
It was crowded, it was hot, it was smelly, but it was also a
lot of fun. A zoo trip is something worth doing as a family every so often – if
only to fuel your children’s curiosity and remind them that rhinos, tigers,
zebras, monkeys, snakes and penguins aren’t limited to movies and cartoons.
Leo Paré is a former
Advocate editor. Email him at newsdeadline@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at
twitter.com/LeoPare
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