Lunch time (apparently the monitor wasn't quite sure about what was on the menu)

Black Water Monitor waiting to be fed

Black Water Monitor eating a mouse

O'Shaughnessy Reservoir

Islands of Southeast Asia Boat Ride

New Guinea Sulpher-Crested Cockatoo

Asian Small-Clawed Otter

Back at the African Forest

Walking through the canopy

The Columbus Zoo is home to Colo, the world's first gorilla born in captivity.

Gorilla

Gorilla

Gorilla

Red River Hog

Bonobos

Mandrill

Okapi

Okapi

Aldabra Tortoise

Manatee

Aquarium-gazing

Aquarium

Back on the other side of the road, the Zoo has a few more animal 'themed' areas, like Asia Quest, North America, and Polar Frontier. It was incredibly hot and the zoo is so large we only had enough energy left to do the Asian section, a lot of which is indoors.

White-naped Crane

White-naped Crane

"Extinction is Forever" bell. Some of the conservation messages got a little heavy handed, reminding me of some of the ecological parks in China.

Indoor themed area with informational exhibits

Could have been in Disney's Animal Kingdom

This was my favorite, the Extinction Train. As you can see, a lot of animals have already departed on the extinction train.

You push a button that would turn on the electric railroad. You then had a choice of four more buttons quizzing you on what to do to conserve resources and prevent extinction. Answer correct and a switch will trigger allowing the train to happily run around in a continuous circle of harmony and sustainability. Answer incorrectly and it enters the Extinction Tunnel, never to return (unless you hit the button again). Yes, this exhibit really exists.