A few weeks ago I decided to get a membership to the San Diego Zoo. I’d only been once before, back when I was an intern, and had an amazing time. After talking with a few people, I discovered the a membership for the entire year is about the cost of two tickets. So, I decided to give it a whirl. I’ve already gone twice, so everything from now is a bonus.
Growing up, animals held a passing fascination in my mind, which I think they do for most children. I always enjoyed going to my local zoo, although dinosaurs were typically my main passion. So rediscovering the magic of a zoo (and at that, one of the largest and most environmentally important conservation-focused zoos in the word) has been very exciting. This past weekend I saw the Galapagos tortoises for the first time. I wasn’t even aware they were at the zoo, but opted to check out the reptile walk as I’d never seen it before.
After seeing a few smaller tortoises hanging around, and seeing an exhibit with some of the main reptiles of San Diego County, I suddenly found myself at an area with over 10 massive Galapagos tortoises, and they were just starting to feed. It’s difficult to describe the certain fascination and calm that I feel when simply observing animals live their life. I stood there watching the tortoises eat, and listening to the various zookeepers and docents explain tidbits to others, for close to an hour. I’m so happy that I live near such an amazing place, and that I decided to take advantage of that proximity.