Jumping Pumpkins at the Zoo

Our zoo did their annual, fall, animal enrichment on the weekend before Halloween this year.  They call it Jumping Pumpkins and it's really cute to watch.  They give the animals pumpkins to eat and play with in their respective habitats.  The first time we came for this was two years ago and I think the kids were too young to appreciate it.  They definitely liked it better this time, though still not as much as me!  :)

 

We arrived in time to see all three morning enrichments:  the otters, the rhinos and the elephants.  The zoo was pretty empty so we got a great parking spot and front row to all but the elephants.  In fact, there was no one else around for the otter enrichment. 

There were two small pumpkins placed in the otter enrichment.  One on the rocks (not visible here) and one floating just under the ramp that the otter is standing on.  It's back by the rocks.  Can you see it?

Somehow, he managed to break it apart and was floating on his back munching the pumpkin and batting it around.  :)

We walked passed the snow leopards on our way to the rhinos and they were out and very playful today!  I don't think I've ever seen them active before.

Moving on to the rhinos... they couldn't seem to care less that the big, orange orbs were sitting around their environment.  :)  Not one of them made a move to play with it or eat it.  Party poopers.

 

My little leg warmer.

Random, waddling ducks on our path.

The kids love reading about the elephants at our zoo.  Sophie just wants to lift the flaps.  Will reads them all aloud to her.

The way the new elephant exhibit is set up, there are two main viewing areas and you have to go out and around to get to the other.  So it always seemed that whatever excited hoots and hollers we heard from onlookers, were always coming from the opposite side that we were on.  Ahh, well.  It was still an entertaining little show.

Some of the elephants' pumpkins.  :)  Love the celery hair. 

 

This one was trying to steal some of the pumpkin out of the other elephant's mouth!

Kicking around some leaves.

A quick stop at the African exhibit on our way out.

Mimicking faces?  You're a little off, buddy.  ;)

It turned out to be a beautiful morning!