zoo newbies

The zoo has been on our ‘short list’ of activities to do with Maelle, and we finally crossed it off today.

We couldn’t have chosen a better day; the sun was shining yet it wasn’t too hot. Andrew took the day off and we enjoyed meandering around without much of a plan or agenda. The Buffalo Zoo isn’t huge or spectacular; but I liked how ‘approachable’ it all felt. It was pleasantly busy; we saw lots of other families but never had trouble getting close to the enclosures or having enough space to spread out. Everyone there felt like a neighbor–moms wrangling multiple kids, dads carrying toddlers on their shoulders, grandparents pushing strollers.

Maelle was dressed for the occasion; she wore her multicolored animal dress that she loves so much!

Our first stop was the otter tank, where one little guy followed Andrew’s finger around the glass and had Maelle mesmerized. I wish I’d snapped a photo!

We buzzed around a few of the other exhibits, where we saw zebras munching grass, lions lounging in the sun and hyenas eating lunch. The sand cat was pretty cute, and the orange fox was WAY BIGGER than I expected.

Perhaps the most fun Maelle had was petting the Nigerian Dwarf goats!

She’s already told her Gram about the ‘goat pooping’ and the ‘goat eating daddy’s shirt.’ True stories, and certainly memorable for a two-year-old. Please note the polar bear sticker on her shoe, above. She put it there.

I’d packed us PB&J for lunch, and there are tons of shady picnic tables for taking a break.

We decided to become zoo members, which made our visit even more enjoyable, knowing we didn’t have to see EVERYTHING on this visit. My goal is to go once a month, likely meeting up with other friends as well, even when it’s cold.

As we made our way out through the gift shop, Maelle fell in love with a pink giraffe. (It might have been the *last* toy either of us would have chosen, but such is the preference of toddlers.)

I already can’t wait to go back! Anyone have any tips for our next visit?