All Creatures Great and Small

Last week whilst we were in Chester our son came and joined us for a few days before his next semester at uni starts.
Top of his list (and ours) of things to do was a visit to Chester Zoo. 
I always feel a bit unsure of how I feel about the animals kept in captivity, but at Chester they certainly do a good job of creating lovely natural areas for these spectacular creatures to live.  The research, conservation work and breeding programmes they have in place at Chester and around the world with the animals in their natural environment  are certainly putting to good use their knowledge and understanding of the 8,000 animals (over 400 species) in their care. 
Many are successfully settled back in the wild, and its good to know that many species have been saved from extinction following the work of zoos in this country and across the world.
And we had a great day seeing so many wonderful animals.
Enjoy a look round with me....

First stop the elephant enclosure, seven Asian elephants here, the females and babies together, Dad was away visiting another zoo, with the expectation of more babies as a result.

One little elephant balancing....

Enjoying an enormous bone, 

 Two little elephants playing rough and tumble

 "Who pulled the plug out?"

 A prickly porcupine pondering pudding. 

 ...................Step by step on a piece of string?!  (A children's counting song I used to use at school)

Making a spectacle of himself, not as cute as Paddington. From South America, these bears enjoy climbing and water, when not foraging for food.

 Majestic and graceful, the giraffes were hiding against the building, and browsing from branches pulled high up on the telegraph pole!

 Giant tortoises basking under the heat lamp in one of the tropical houses.

Great Hornbill

"I'm not looking at you."

"I'm shy, you see."

"Have a look at my beautiful back though".

"You won't catch me up here"

"Oh, all right, just one then".

Flock of Flamingos

  At first we could't see the lions but coming back later, they were lying in the sun,

and this handsome fellow treated us to his great, fearsome roar and then his bark. But I should think this is one case where his bark is not worse than his bite!

 Of course we saw many, many more, apes, monkeys, snakes, frogs, lizards, spiny mice, red pandas, the sleepy sloths, but I think you can guess our favourites.....