That's My World is hosted each week by Klaus and the My World team of, Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and myself. People from all over the world share their world with us and you can share yours as well! Click on the icon, sign up and show us the things you love about your world! PLEASE do read and follow the directions when signing in. Thank you!
One of my favorite places anywhere is the zoo and Seattle has a wonderful one! My son, knowing how I love zoos, took me there for my Mother's Day treat last year and what a wonderful day it was! So, I thought I would share that fun part of my world today. The history is courtesy of Wikipedia, but the photos are all mine. Do click on any of the photos to embiggen and get a better look.
Woodland Park Zoo is a zoological garden around the Green Lake neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Occupying the western half of Woodland Park, the zoo began as a small menagerie on the estate of Guy C. Phinney, a Canadian-born lumber mill owner and real estate developer. Opened in 1899, the 188-acre (0.76 km2) Woodland Park was sold to the city for $5,000 in cash and the assumption of a $95,000 mortgage on December 28, 1899, by Phinney's wife (Phinney had died six years earlier, in 1893). The sum was so large that the Seattle mayor vetoed the acquisition, only to be over-ruled by the city council. In 1902, the Olmsted Brothers firm of Boston was hired to design the city's parks, including Woodland Park, and the next year the collection of the private Leschi Park menagerie was moved to Phinney Ridge.
Entrance to the African Section of the Zoo.
As of 2009, the zoo includes 92 acres (263,000 m²) of exhibits and public spaces. It is open to the public daily, and an entrance fee of $11.00 per adult (13-64); $8.00 for children (3-12); free for children 2 and younger is required from October 1 to April 30. The fee goes to $16.50 for adults and $11.00 for children from May 1 to September 30. Its collection includes:
• 1,090 animal specimens
• 300 animal species
• 35 endangered and five threatened animal species
• 7,000 trees
• 50,000+ shrubs and herbs
• 1,000+ plant species
Woodland Park Zoo had 1.05 million visitors in 2006.
It is all a very natural setting and sometimes you have to look closely to see the animals as they wander through the trees and around the ponds.
Look closely to see the hippo and zebras enjoying their "wild" space!
Scattered throughout the zoo are statues of the various animals!
Royal as always, the lion surveys his kingdom!
There is a very interesting program about birds where you can get up close and personal with a variety of owls and various birds of prey.
I loved seeing the children "communicating" with the seals!!
And the lovely and colorful flamingos! There was a mallard standing in front of them as though he was conducting some kind of exercise program in neck rolling!
And that's my fun, four-legged, winged world for today!
50 comments:
Good morning Sylvia. Gosh, I haven't been to a zoo in years. Makes me wishful. Thanks for the ramble.
Thank you for the tour, Sylvia. I laughed at your comment about the mallard - he really does look like an instructor! I bet sometimes people have to look carefully to distinguish statues from real life.
This is the kind of zoo I like to see. One where the animals have as natural an environment as possible.
We visited a zoo in Stockton recently, I couldn't wait to leave. The animals, mostly primates, were kept in small cages. It really upset me.
Sylvia, this looks like a really wonderful park and zoo. I must say I was a little staggered by the entrance fees. Thank heaven our local one is free - asking only a donation from visitors.
Woodland Park IS a great zoo and Martha Z is right, there are still too many of the nasty old-fashioned kind around.
One of our grandsons (and his parents) used to live in Tacoma; going to Woodland Park was one of our favorite treats when we visited him.
Thanks for the great pictures, brought back fun memories.
Beautiful captures!!!
What a beautiful zoo. Great pictures.
How fun to see your delightful zoo shots ... it's been a while since I've visited a zoo and your post makes me want to go with my camera!
Hugs and blessings,
Small Reflections
Sylvia: What a wonderful place with so many neat animals. It is quite the setting.
Great pics there and what a gem to have in your city. I can well see why yo enjoy visiting. Have a great week, Sylvia.
I love to visit zoos too, although I don't get there as much as I wanted.
What a thoughtful son you have.
www.ewok1993.wordpress.com
Hello Sylvia.
Thanks for stopping in my blog.
I want to go to Seattle. And see this magnificent zoo.
I would like to come to Barcelona, I make you a guide through the city.
I wish you a happy week.
Xavi.
It looks to be a well-maintained zoo, a great place to walk, see the sights and breathe in fresh air!
What a wonderful zoo your city has. I enjoyed all of the photographs very much and the information was interesting.
Great photos! What a wonderful outing!
I love the hippo statue, and the panda on your sidebar....
Boy I haven't been to a zoo in like forever. Looks spectacular. Thank you for sharing this. The pictures are spectacular :)
Wonderful pics Sylvia. I have always loved flamingos - I wonder why they stand on one leg.
That really is a wonderful zoo! I spent my childhood visiting there, but I've never paid attention to the history of the location - very interesting! My goodness - the rates sure have gone up - $13 in peak season? Woo-ee!
looks like a fun day at the zoo, thanks for showing us some animals
Wonderful captures all of them. So many specimens, it must be a great place to spend a few hours strolling there and watching them.
What a wonderful son you have, to take you to the zoo for Mothers Day. That sounds like pay-back for all of the times you probably took him. It looks and sounds like a great zoo.
Have a great week, Sylvia.
Very nice post about the zoo in your part of the world. It's been ages since I visited our wonderful zoo..lol. I think it is time for me to pay a visit. Have a nice day.
What? No picture of the Hendrix Rock? For shame!
We spent many happy hours at the WPZ when our boys were little. My younger son knew/knows it like the back of his hand and still goes. Any time they added a new animal or exhibit, he seemed to know about before we did, and pressed successfully for another visit.
What a wonderful zoo. That is how it should be, a natural environment and lots of space for the animals. Thank you for sharing.
Jossie
http://caughtbymycamera.blogspot.com/
a wonderful place indeed!!
That looks like a wonderful place. Zoos are important for putting us in touch with the wild world. Beautifully presented, Sylvia.
Loved the zoo shots, Sylvia! It is always fun to visit the zoos.
Got on and glad to visit with you. Love zoos always have. appreciate Pt. Defiance zoo in Tacoma as well esp the new SE Asia exhibit. Thanks as usual for your support. My posts may seem like I've always got it together but it is really lonely out here sometimes.
As often as I've been to Seattle, I haven't visited the zoo there. I should definitely put that on my list for next time I'm out in the area.
Wonderful zoo. What a amazing variety of animals in one place.
Hi Ms Sylvia, your Zoo has more collection of 4 legged and winged animals, than our Zoo. The are is so huge and they have a lot of freedom roaming around their habitat.
I was not impressed with ours and I was debating whether to renew my membership in March.
Olmsted designed New York City's Central Park too! What a wonderful legacy they left for us to enjoy!
I haven't been to a zoo in ages. Your son was so thoughtful to take you for Mother's Day!
I love the owl, & he does look like he is wearing spectacles too.
Great walk through the zoo. Love the playful seal!
Have a wonderful week!
Loved this collection of photos, but especially loved the conducting duck! That is quite a catch!
Great photos. The only problem with zoos is that the animals forget how to hunt since everything is provided for them. So a 3rd generation zoo lion might be nothing like a jungle lion - maybe that's just as well.
Thank you Sylvia, for taking me on the lovely tour. You are a splendid guide! I love the colours of the flamingos.
Have a great week!
A beautiful zoo.
Thanks for sharing Sylvia.
Have a warn and sunshiny week.
Sylvia, I love zoos too! We have the Bronx Zoo and the Central Park Zoo. When I was a camp counselor at 15 I used to take kids to the Bronx Zoo. I still go there to this day! Thanks for your photos! :)
Wonderfully colourful shots. The critters look content.
We're having a very white blizzard in My Muskoka , on top of a major melt yesterday.
Our lake is frozen, with a pond on top! Freeze-up tonight though.
the hippo statue is awesome !!!
i love the zoo! That hippo is ginormous! The seal and the lion pics are my faves. You captured them well. My world entry is here.
Oh, I love zoos, especially when I have achild or two with me! I must see this zoo the next time Hubby and I are in Seattle. I loved the hippo sculpture!
That looks like a wonderful zoo! I like how spacious and natural looking the enclosures are. How nice of your son to take your there. :)
Thanks for taking us on a tour of this wonderful zoo. I can understand why it is a favorite place of yours.
it is easy to see that you love it. :) Thanks for sharing.
I was excited to see your first picture of the entrance to the zoo. I recognized it from a trip we made several years ago and I had heard all about the Woodland Park Zoo and wanted to see it. It is a wonderful place and I thoroughly enjoyed my trip back through your great photos. Thanks Sylvia :)
Great post on the Seattle Zoo Sylvia. My favorite is the Spectacled Owl of course. I have never seen one because they are from southern Mexico and South America.
What a treat!
Oh wow, your zoo looks fun! Alive with healthy animals! That hippo looks real. I linked mine real late. I cannot find Mr Linky yesterday :(
Sylvia really enjoyed looking at the pictures of the zoo at Seattle. Thanks for the tour!
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