Cats on the Prowl

Upon arrival at Brookfield, I headed directly for the big cats and found them all asleep. Leaving them to their naps, I toured the other areas of the park that I had targeted, then bypassed the exit and took that last look at the cats.
The Snow Leopard seen here was on the prowl, walking laps around her outdoor area, sometimes adding a bit to the loop, but on each lap approaching the glass and walking right toward the audience.
A good omen as I headed toward the Lions. Some closeups in the next post.

King of the Treetops

While the Lion is considered to be King of the Jungle, and while I coached enough Lion teams to agree with that, the Gorilla is clearly the King of the Treetops. And from the look of this great specimen, he knows that!

Gorillas

Among the more impressive animals at Brookfield are the gorillas. Here one yawns while preparing for a nap or waking up from one, while the biggest one sits high in the tree watching the watchers who are watching him.

Mother and Child

Watching mother and child is an endlessly-renewing pastime at Brookfield Zoo. This small pair of monkey was high in a tree but therefore easily seen across from the viewing area. For the longest time the interplay was hilarious, as the rambunctious youngster tried in various ways to get mom's attention when all she seemed to want was a little rest. The differing energy level was ofcourse familiar to any human parent!

Brookfield

Recently becoming a member of the Brookfield Zoo, I have found the time to run in for a few hours of walking and of collecting animal photographs. Truly one of the great zoos in the country, Brookfield is an ever-changing, growing entity. In the next few posts, we will look at some of the images collected during the current winter season.
Here we see the proud flag of the zoo, posted near the main entrance, and the bright colors of the mandrill, an "Old-World monkey," whose front and rear colors are so intense that no enhancing of the hue could possibly work. The animal fills your eye's color sense immediately.

Fox River

Once I left the border of the golf course, I continued down the path to the Fox River. A main artery of the far west suburbs, the Fox was once a location of boating, beaches, and getaway locations for city dwellers. I recall a swimming beach that I visited nearly 50 years ago, further north, right on the banks of the Fox.
One snap shows the west bank across the river; the other shows the golfing geese, having risen, cutting across the deep blue sky.
The next post will be time for some animal photography.

Norris Woods

Norris Woods in St. Charles is tucked on the slope between Rt. 25 and the Fox River, just north of the Pottawottamie Park Golf Course. A recent slip-sliding walk down the path offered views of a little creek and a flock of geese relaxing on the 6th and 7th fairways.