Giraffe Drinking Habits: A Tall Zoo Tale
Giraffe
Tall tale or tall tail?
It's a zoo out there
For reasons unknown, I recently visited a zoo.The highlight was visiting the Masai giraffes.
There was a family of three - Michael, Betty Lou, and Parker. Yup, they had names, but not name tags.For an extra eight bucks, you could "Get up close and personal with the tallest residents of the Zoo! Hand feed Masai giraffes and have the experience of a lifetime."I was too late (and too cheap) to make feeding time,BUT I discovered that the real show is not feeding the giraffes - it's hanging with them after they dine.You may suspect where this is going...
A large group of us mere humans were enchanted by the majesty, the charm, the highness of said animals...when the mother kicks her tail up and lets loose a stream like a fire hose on steroids.This surprise torrent elicited unanimous gales of laughter from us onlookers.Snap. The little Masai tyke struts over and starts drinking from the endless stream as if it were a water fountain.In an instant, mirth morphed into misery and one collective groan. (Who says the American people can't agree on anything?)Hmm. Perhaps we now know why giraffes' tongues are purple - it's because of their childhood beverage of choice.
ZOO NOTES
The shrill voices from the gaggles of kids at the zoo are louder than any wild animals in the enclosures.How 'bout a "No Children Day" where the admission is double the price? Well worth it for curmudgeons.If you love giraffes, you'll love this...Two rare white giraffes have been filmed for the first time ever (The New York Post)http://nyp.st/2wLQzbQ
