Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.  See you all in 2017,  Take care everyone.

Penguins at the Santo Inacio Zoo

Another favourite of ours were the Penguins, such adorable lively creatures. This will be my last post of photos taken at the Santo Inacio Zoo.

The African Penguin   Spheniscus demerus
 

They grow to a height of 60cm ( 2ft tall )
 

They are accustomed to living in warmer climates,...
 

but went in and out of the water all the time to cool off.
 

and loving it, as it was a really hot day.
 

This friendly one came right up to us.
 

Penguins spend several hrs a day preening their feathers to keep them well maintained, or they would not stay waterproof.
 

For extra protection, penguins spread oil on their feathers. The oil comes from a special gland, near their tail. The penguins tail is short and wedge shaped which helps it to maintain stability on land.
 

Both sexes look the same.
 

Many were banded on their flippers.
 

A close up of the friendly one.
 

A gate we saw near the zoo, which I have added for Good Fences.
 

 

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Zebras and an Owl at the Santo Inacio Zoo

The Zebras were a special favourite of ours. These two were enjoying a meal, whilst we were admiring the unique design on their beautiful coats.

Awe!!:)
 

The first time I saw a Zebra with ears in that position.
 

Hello!
 

One eye on me!
 

Still Curious!
 

Their markings, so different, but both so beautiful.
 

One of the gates at the zoo, for Good Fences.
 

A closer look at the lock.
 

The entrance to the reptile house but we didn't go inside this time.
 

Another restaurant area. photo taken early morning.
 

Don't you just love their mane, and those dazzling stripes.
 

The Snowy Owl
 

WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY
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The White Rhinoceros

We were about half way through our tour of the zoo when we saw these small school children with their teacher having their photos taken with the Rhino. It was a good time to stop, have a drink, and take in the view.

 

 

The River Douro.
 

One of the gates we saw on our walk.
 

A Peahen and her young, were walking along the paths and in the gardens.
 

The real McCoy....
 

The White Rhinoceros. Their name means (Nose horn) 

The White Rhinoceros have two horns, the foremost being more prominente than the other.
 

The Muscovy Duck seen in the zoo pond.
 

We have always had Muscovy ducks on the farm,...
 

The male hisses at intruders, but wag it's tails when spoken to!!:)
 

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The Santo Inacio Zoo

We were having lunch with the family one Saturday, when my granddaughter Sara, told us about a zoo she had visited, and said that we should go there, as it was a great place to spend the day, and would only take an hour to get there. On her recommendation we decided to act on her suggestion, and I must say that we were impressed at the way the animals were cared for, and I will be sharing some photos of our visit over the next few weeks.

It took us I hour and 30 minutes on the highway to reach the Zoo,  and this is the entrance.
 

I sat on the bench, whilst Americo went inside....
 

this building, where he bought our entrance tickets, and on the right is where we started our walk around the zoo.

 

One of the hides where we were able to see the deer-like creatures below.
 

On a return visit, I'll be more careful to get their names, as I stupidly forgot to take pictures of them.
  

 

 

 

This creature and the next where taken in different areas of the zoo.
 

The environment  looked very natural,
 

Another view of a hide to get a better look at the fence.
 

This is where we had a delicious cooked meal.  We had intended to spend the day, but it was so hot, that we left after eating lunch, but we both agreed to make a return visit at a later date, and I shall look forward to it, besides,.. I want to get those names.
 

The Black Swan   Cygnus atratus
 

 

 

Sweet lonely Donkey.
 

 

The Greylag Goose.
 

 

 

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