fluttering hyena.
the zoo in erfurt is on my itinerary at least once a year, and everytime i go there some new changes have been done, the compounds got bigger and the surroundings more natural. i like seeing old narrow compounds replaced with more open and less confining ones. even though, of course the living conditions are not ideal ( the animals should actually be comfortable in their respective countries, without having to fear extinction and living their natural life cycles as nature intented ), but seeing that they don't have to live in antiquated compounds anymore, that leave no space to roam, i feel a lot better visiting a zoo.
i'm all for the informational & educational aspect of zoos, but i'm kind of torn about them as well. because if we took better care of all life on this earth, we wouldn't have to create these two-sworded 'sanctuaries'. it's a difficult topic, i know, and there are pros and cons on every side that are valid, but i still feel that if the human race wouldn't overexploit mother earth so shamelessly, these animals wouldn't have to fear extinction at all and they'd live a life attuned to their normal rythms in their real habitats.
on the day we visited the erfurt zoo all the animals were kind of bumming around, oftentimes taking naps. it was a very slow day, and my mom and me also were infected by the tempo of that day and spent about 6 hours there, taking time to watch the animals up close, sitting down for lunch & coffee, also taking a nap on a meadow with big horses grazeing nearby peacefully. it was a good time we spent there, that is for sure.
cute fennec snoring his day away. i really love these small foxes with their huge ears. and look how fluffy he is!
another vulpes: the bat-eared fox! he took a nap as well!
sometimes flowers get my attention full force and how could i deny their beauty? dog roses have a special kind of beauty, always looking so tender. and their fragrance is what i consider the epitome of rose scents.
impala sighting! they share their home with zebras, sable antilopes & ostriches.
this damara zebra seemed especially happy letting the sun warm up its belly!
those fur patterns are goals, to be perfectly honest.
i felt like i should include a little keepsake photo of my mom and me looking like indie band members sitting on a zebra bench :P
these bushes were so extremely over the top, i couldn't resist capturing them. it's a smallflower tamarisk.
the old elephant's compound. they built a new one on the other side of the zoo, because this one was simply too small and not up to date anymore. it formerly housed a nocturnal animal & reptile section as well, but they also moved out of the house ( to other zoos or new homes inside erfurt zoo - and nocturnals are no longer part of the zoo either ). you can only find some insects and spiders around here and i think some mice and frogs. they plan to completely overhaul the building and make it a home to penguins and nocturnals again. also they want to give rain forest species a new home here, and at the same time introduce people to the problems those endangered regions have to face these days. i hear, that they still try to save money for the architectural planning phase, and only if that was successful they can start applying for subsidies. i really would love to see life in this space again, it has always been so popular with people when the former inhabitants still lived here! and it's sort of a cool building as well, erected in the 1980ies with the help of lots of erfurt citizens.
you can have a look at the skeleton of an elephant here!
found this tomcat randomly running around near the elephant house. look at those yellow eyes! swoon!
paying a visit to the northern bald ibises made me realize how beautiful they actually are! their wonderful shimmering plumage with bronze green, night blue & deep purple tones is quite a spectacular sight! did you know they once inhabited big parts of europe ( even germany )? they were hunted until they were close to extinction, you can rarely find wild ibises around anymore. a real shame if you ask me. i feel they are super majestic and look really mystical!
the bird's eye is clouded here, i don't know if it was because it was blind on one eye or if they have a strange blinking mechanism. anyway, i still LOVE how this picture turned out, because it captures all the colours of the bird's plumage so beautifully. for some people the bald ibis may be a creepy and ugly bird, but i think that ibises are truly magnificent birds, especially when you take a closer look at their appearance! who wouldn't want a shimmering metallic plumage? i think they'd make an essential companion for witches, don't they? maybe scary at first, but after closer inspection, they truly show you all their beauty & glory.
tending to its plumage.
the rhino house. it was built in 1998, and it still looks timelessly modern. when the sun's light is right, it can illuminate the whole building!
the rhinos were having naps, too! i've read that they had a baby last year! it was born on the 29th of december and is called kiano. mama marcita is the happy mom, you can see her in the back, still in expectancy. these are white rhinoceroses, fyi.
another closer look at mama marcita. love that name! the other rhino is called numbi, also a female. i couldn't make out the man in the pack, dino, but i guess he was separated from the females.
we found a nice relaxing bench on the very green festival grounds of the zoo. my mom would probably disagree, but i really love this picture of her, napping. ❤
and close nearby shire horses were curiously taking some glances at us. isn't the white one such a beauty?
we also said hi to the fallow deers in their walk-in homes!
snowy owls in green surroundings!
ah, the golden chain trees - truly making a glamourous appearance in spring, always.
common ducks can also be found around the zoo, there are several little ponds where they can run wild or slow. this one was preparing itself for a little nap and soon would present itself standing on one leg only, as they do when they're tired and want to sleep.
i heard some funny noises coming from up the trees - pia-ow, pia-ow! i looked up and saw this dude hanging around in there - an indian peafowl. it wasn't quite as green as the trees, so its camouflage didn't work out very well, but whatever, if it didn't make some noises, i would've probably pass him by without further notice.
from behind, though, it was a lot more difficult to spot it! if it wasn't for the 'eyes' you could mistake it as a tree branch, right?
this bench was really pretty with its stone-age inspired drawings.
okay, guess who that structure belongs to?
you probably guessed it right, its elephant skin! it belonged to this one, quietly munching away on straw. i didn't make more photos of the elephants, they were inside their house and i think that the light is awful in there. i'd rather taken some photos outside on their stomping grounds... maybe next time i'm on visit!
sulcata tortoises inhabit a space right next to the elephant house! they were quite active, stomping around, determined to find some delicious food.
yum, a nice patch of grass! let's take a bite.
looks like this one was really content with its choice of nutrition!
there's also a farm on the zoo grounds which keeps some farm animals. i got lucky taking a good enough picture of this laid-back bunny. doesn't it look like a smooth mf? way too smooth tbh.
our last animal visit of the day was the meerkat compound, which is basically also always my favourite. i love these rascals too much. they're funny, rambunctious and absolutely adorable. i could spend HOURS, literally, watching them and their shenanigans. i love that a group of them is called a mob, gang or clan - true gangsters they really are! though they're not managed by a kingpin, but a female power woman - the queen!
here we have some carrying out a street fight. look at those sharp teeth!
it's not always fight time in meerkat-city. sometimes serious cuddling is announced!
the watch-man.
they are so photogenic, help! i can never stop taking pictures of them.
some more playing around.
the path home.
our family visits to the zoo are always so precious to me, and brings back old memories very often! happy childhood days especially.
i still love visiting the erfurt zoo, especially because they really try to educate you on all their animals and how endangered they are. and they go great lengths to provide well for them and take care of their needs. it really makes a difference and helps enjoy these facilities better.
Comments