We left Birdwood and the Motor Museum and drove into Adelaide, our final destination of our little South Australian tour. We spent a a few days here before travelling onto Sydney. The six of us decided to go to the Adelaide Zoo, where they have Pandas. I think it is the only zoo in Australia with Pandas. Of course we saw other animals as well but the Pandas were the highlight, as you can see by the following photos.
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| I was chuffed with this photo as I mastered the trick of blurring out the fence wire. |
Besides being given bamboo to eat, the keepers hide panda cakes in the enclosure so that the Pandas learn to forage for food. This guy is looking smelling for cakes.
He found one.
There were two Pandas, one male and one female. I have forgotten their names......help me Ann. Thank you Ann. The female is Funi and the male is Wang Wang. I think the first photo is Funi and the others are Wang Wang.
I couldn't resist buying a Panda hat from the gift shop. It was a cold day so I was happy to wear it at the expense of embarrassing my friends.
When I came out of the bathroom back at the hotel there was a Panda on the bed reading a book.
lovely photos of our zoo. they did a huge overhaul in readiness for the pandas. i believe the zoo is losing money. it's very sad. i love your panda hat. i can just see Fox wearing it. :)
ReplyDeleteAny zoo is great, but the pandas would be an extra bonus - even literate ones that you get to take home.
ReplyDeleteAs always, in awe of your abilities with a camera. I'm especially impressed that you were able to eliminate the fence between you and the puss.
Lovely Photos of the zoo and a very cute couple of panda photos as well.
ReplyDeleteThey are so cute. Some years ago they had some pandas visit the zoo in Sydney the queues were enormous.
ReplyDeleteTrying to figure out the commenting problem on 100 towns. If you click on the title of the post the comments link appears.
ReplyDeleteFuni was the girl panda, and Wang Wang the male dude. (I think that's right!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great photo's of the animals. Very special there are Panda's in your Zoo, you don't see them very often, only in a few places I think. The hat is fun and the reading Panda is more fun!
ReplyDeleteWonderful animal photos. We would have liked to see the pandas but we were told you had to book and our plans while minimal, were quite set.
ReplyDeleteWilliam! How canyou read a book wit your eyes seemingly closed, or was the Panda hat on the head reading it for you??.
ReplyDeleteI believe from memory that Annj is correct with the names of the pandas.
Good post Diane.
Cheers
Colin (HB)
Lovely Pandas...and like the hat :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a marvelous set of photos you have got here!!!
ReplyDeleteOh...and I like the "panda" reading...
Hugsss
i am soooo jealous, really really rally jealous, in fact it might just be to the sin of envy. love all of these photos, fantastic job on the wire blur for the big cat. love hubby with the bear hat
ReplyDeleteA great lot of animal photos Diane, especially the Pandas.
ReplyDeleteYou both make a cute Panda Couple too by the way!!
WE had a family excursion to the Werribee Park open plains-type zoo the other Saturday.
ReplyDeleteWerribee is midway between Melbourne and Geelong, not far from Avalon airport, and a major market gardens area.
The large bush buses take visitors around the park where camels sit grazing, giraffes stroll across the tracks and ostriches fluff up and run headlong around their area.
The male rhino got into a very brisk trot when he spied his 2 females, not that far from our vehicle. As it's southern Victoria the temperatures drop in winter so the giraffes have a special heated 'barn' for cold nights.
You forget how huge they are until you see an adult male giraffe just a few metres away. So their heated "house" is enormous!
Diane, the 3 older granddaughters had a great time and there were heaps of horned animals for them to see out in the park, as well as a pack of African wild dogs and a female lioness prowling around in her enclosure, awaiting feeding time.
These predators have their own spaces so they are not free-rangers like the others mentioned above.
They are so cute ! I love to go to a zoo when it's nicely kept and the animals are respected and have space. I hate to see cages, fortunately it doesn't exist so much anymore !
ReplyDeleteLove your hat ! that looks so cute !
Is that a pelican in the one photo? I WANT that hat and you guys look so cute in it. I would love to know how you blurred the fence wire too if you'll give up that secret.
ReplyDeleteI love the pygmy hippo and the lion. But what is that amazing - looking bird? I love the pandas. I hope the zoo doesn't run out of money. Thanks for sharing these very different animals with me.
ReplyDeleteFantastic animal photos! Is it a pelican on the second shot?
ReplyDeleteAll those pandas are so photogenic (even the one on the bed ;>)).... it looks like a good zoo.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photo of the lioness. Good for you!
ReplyDeleteI adore pandas, and there are some coming to Canada. It's our prime minister's ploy to get re-elected but, if it works, I'm moving to Oz, so watch out.
We're seeing pandas next week at the San Diego Zoo, where they have a very successful breeding program. The first time we were there, they had a 5-month-old who was at the stage of clinging to tree-tops. Very cute but very scary. They don't have any youngsters right now, but their male is a real performer.
K
Like the line but the pandas are more special, I only saw them once in San Diego.
ReplyDeleteGreetings,
Filip
Cute hat...I can think of a little boy who would really love it too.
ReplyDeleteThe Musician was walking by as I was reading your post and saw the lioness photo and said "Wow, now THAT's a cat!"
Hi There, Just stopping by to say HI.... Hope you had a great Valentine's Day. We had a great trip--but it's nice to get home. I'm trying to catch up on some blog posts...
ReplyDeleteOh--the Pandas are adorable... BUT--my favorite is that Panda on the bed reading a book... ha ha
Hugs,
Betsy
Gloriously crisp photos, good memories of a great day out.
ReplyDeleteGreat pics Diane and you caught Wang Wang & Funi in a playful mood .... Well done on the editing I can't even see where the fence is supposed to be ... bravo!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Love your Panda hat! I need to get a different camera, so that I can do things like blur out backgrounds. I used to do that with my portrait lens on the Nikon... but this digital one doesn't have any of that fancy stuff. I really need to upgrade.
ReplyDeleteThat's a killer panda hat ... I'm SO jealous!!
ReplyDeleteSo how DO you blur out the fence wire??
Bill!
ReplyDeleteYou should never allowed Diane to photograph you on that bed - eyes closed, book in hand and a Panda hat on your head!
I just hope Mr.Wang Wang Panda or Mrs.Funi Panda was softly reading the story to you as you slowly sank into slumberland.
Oh I won't forget this photo - ha ha!
Des Alpes should be fun! I wonder how much it would cost for me to hire a panda suit?????
Cheers to you both
From Panda land
Mr and Mrs.Wang Wang Funi!
Great zoo pictures Diane, loved the Panda shots and you and Bill with the Panda hat on!!!
ReplyDeleteDiane, I enjoyed seeing all your zoo animals. The Pandas are my favorite. And I love the cute hat, you and Bill look cute wearing the Panda hat. Maybe Fox would like one too? Great photos, I hope you have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteLots of pampered pandas there! You tell that last one to get off the bed and go buy you belated chocolates and roses!
ReplyDeleteLove your animal shots - I'd love to paint them all!
Diane, these are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI've seen 'zoo' shots aplenty but you got some lovely closeups!!!
Panda bears make you want to cuddle them they are so cute!!
I see you have your own Panda to cuddle. :)
The cutest panda of all is the last one:) I really like these zoo pics too
ReplyDeleteFor those who would like to know how to blur out the fence wire while taking a shot through a fence. I learned it from a canon booklet: Use a tele photo lens, choose Av (aperture) make it as wide as possible (small number). Approach the fence as close as possible and shoot. The wire/bars disappear. (sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.)
ReplyDeleteBTW for those who asked the bird is a pelican.
AMAZING!! simply AMAZING!
ReplyDeletethese zoo shots are phenomenal!!
Diane, I love the Panda hat, good on you! T♥
ReplyDeleteThis was a delightful post, Diane! I love seeing the animals, especially the bemused lioness. and the pandas are adorable! You hat is too funny --- Fox will enjoy it one day!
ReplyDelete