Friday, July 19, 2013

Party With the Past...and the Elephants, Flamingos, Kangaroos, Etc., Etc.

The Atlanta History Center sure knows how to throw a wild party! 

Last night's Party With the Past was hosted by Zoo Atlanta, and what a perfect night for it. Okay, it was a little 'sticky', but not totally unbearable. There were cool beverages and ice cream available for "necessary" heat treatment.

"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
My intention was to make a bunch of photos of just how much fun everyone was having, but I was so distracted by all the animals—and their antics—that I never got around to people pix! So...

My favorite of all the animals I saw last night—and some of the larger animals had retired for the evening so were not visible—was this incredibly animated bear! What looks like anguish on his face is really just him having a little fun.


"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
I think everyone else's favorite had to be the Panda. While Lun Lun was off nursing the newborns (they had a monitor where we could watch PandaCam), one of the others was frolicking around its habitat, just having a blast showing off for all the party-goers.


"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
Any regular at Zoo Atlanta knows that visitors are greeted by Flamingo Plaza....and were they in a mood last night! Let's just say there were lots of ruffled feathers and leave it at that.

One of the cool sights in this habitat was watching them, not in the water, but in a small grove of bamboo toward the back of the habitat...an odd, but kinda cool sight.


"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
I mentioned that a lot of the larger animals were not on display, but I did manage to make a LOT of photos of birds...birds that I've never seen before! The bio-diversity on this planet just amazes me...and we get to see so little of it. Thank goodness for the education mission of zoos...it'd be a much smaller world if it weren't for them!


"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
There were however a few of the larger animals out and about, including the elephants—who seemingly ate the entire evening. Then again, that's a lot to feed! 

My friend Barry commented on the fact that elephants in Georgia are not gray as they are in the wild...that's, of course, compliments of Georgia Red Clay! If you're from here or have spent any time here, you know exactly what he was talking about!


"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
I wish I'd noted the names of some of these remarkable animals...like I said, there were many that I'd never seen or even heard of! Fortunately, the Zoo has a great listing of its residents on their website.


"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
Totally fun was a trio of kangaroos, who were mostly distracted by whatever it was that they were doing, while occasionally checking out their spectators. Such fascinating creatures! Next time you're at the Zoo, check out how they "walk"...I found myself wondering "why" they evolved the way they did.


"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
Perhaps the most friendly to the camera are the turtles and tortoises...they're not engaged in hopping, running, swinging, swimming, flying, or any other not-so-camera-friendly activity. And they're fascinating creatures in their own right...it's pretty amazing just how diverse this species of animal really is.


"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
Some of the animals are behind "fence", particularly the birds—although some of those habitats have a Plexiglas viewing area, as well...much better for photo-making. So, that's not totally camera-friendly, but it can offer some pretty cool effects if you decide to just have fun with it.


"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
"Party With the Past", #AHCParty, Zoo Atlanta
Thanks to the animated feature film Madascar, you can't help but love the Meerkat. These entertaining creatures are so animated and friendly...you can't help but walk away with a smile on your face.

So, speaking of smiling...it was a great party! There was an Elephant Feeding and Keeper Talk, a discussion of Zoo Atlanta's history—presented by Deputy Director Dwight Lawson, a Bird Feeding and Keeper Talk, and an African Ground Hornbill Feeding...there was a LOT going on, in addition to all the guests hanging with their friends and making new ones.

Now, go "Like" the Atlanta History Center (and Zoo Atlanta) on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube...everywhere you can find them, so that you'll get the announcement for the next Party With the Past

And by all means, go visit the Center and the Zoo in person!

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