Dublin Zoo

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The Dublin Zoo is strangely unheralded in Phoenix Park. It would be easy to miss the rather subdued signs out in front (as I did the first time I walked by it), but it's worth the trip.

I spent the entire morning watching and taking pictures/videos of the monkeys -- all of them were active that day, even the orangutans, which are known for their ability to rest, relax, and take it easy.

Spider Monkeys!

The spider monkeys were the stars of the show. They use their tails as a third (or fifth?) arm/leg, which makes it look like they are doing cartwheels while they are scampering along. They were particularly lively, and often seemed to be performing as a family for our benefit.


(If you have trouble with the above-embedded video, try this link.)

Here's one of a single spider monkey's interactions with a rope -- I love the big leap at the beginning.



Spider monkey, mid-stride.


Are the spider monkeys trying to spell something out to us? Looks like letters to me.



Gorillas!

The gorilla dad & older kid were chasing each other and wrestling, while the gorilla mom carried her baby secretly, hidden in straw.


(If you have trouble with the above-embedded video, try this link.)

Here, dad and the older kid appear to be shaking hands - is dad teaching good sportsmanship?


Mama Lena with the baby (born April 8) wrapped in straw.



Orangutans!

I was fascinated with the orangutans. They were bent on destroying or dismantling the climbing aparatus they'd been given. I didn't get good pictures of the dismantling process -- which involved hammering the metal hooks screwed into the wood posts to dislodge them -- but here are some pictures of the aftermath. This orangutan, after successfully extricating the metal hook and part of the rope, went off to celebrate (and taste the hook).



After some more destruction, the other orangutan tries to tie the knot:


Slowly, ponderously, the orangutan attempts a death-defying feat, literally inches above the ground. Will he survive? Click to find out!


Everything else...

The chimps, macaques, and lemurs ran around a bit too, although I took fewer pictures and videos of them.

Here's a lemur with its lunch.



A jaguar (distinguished from the leopard because of the light colored spots inside the dark spots on its coat ... and the fact that they are found on different continents in the wild).

I was surprised to see flamingos in Ireland. Outdoors, no less.


In the afternoon, after a light rainstorm, I rejoined some of my fellow-cyclists from the Backroads tour for a visit to the Guiness storehouse. It was nice to see everyone and dine together again... but I still don't like beer.



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