Each summer, I ask the boys what they really want to do and they get to name two or three things that are top on their list for outings or just "fun" things that they don't want to miss. One of the things Ryan really wanted to do was go to the zoo. . .but not any zoo, he wanted to go to the World Wildlife Zoo in Peoria, so, on June 14th when the temperature was only going to be in the 90's decided today was THE day to go. . .
The animals were loving the not so hot temperatures, it was raining just a little bit when we got there and the monkeys, especially, were in fine form. . .The Wildlife zoo is a privately funded zoo, so it is a little bit more than the Phoenix zoo, but the animals are right there. . .The picture of Ryan and Spencer with the kangaroo shows how close, most of the time we were there . . .if they weren't wild, we could have reached out and pet them!!! The spider monkeys (I think) were in a cage and they just bounded around their cage playing tag with one another and just "monkeying around"! It was fun to watch the boys watch the different animals.
At this zoo, you can feed the giraffes, and the boys LOVED getting to feed them -- their tongues feel like sandpaper and they are so tall! It made my neck hurt just watching them!
They have an aquarium connected with the zoo, and the kids loved watching them feed the penguins and petting the sting ray. They were a little nervous about the star fish though. There was a petting zoo too. They had all of these things that we cold feed the animals food, for fifty cents. . .well at the petting zoo, we didn't buy food, so Jake handed the boys some grass to feed the deer and goats, at first, I was a bit concerned, but then thought, wait a minute he should know if this is ok . . . so I guess go ahead boys! We laughed when the zoo keeper was scolding the kids about feeding the animals grass -- Jake reminded me that is WHAT they EAT! Fun time and lovely weather! Glad we went!