Dudley Zoo

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, my boyfriend and I decided to take a trip to Dudley Zoo, the closest zoo to us. Highlights were most definitely the lemur walkthrough and seeing the giraffes and red pandas, as well as watching the sealions and penguins being fed. I was a bit disappointed at the lack of opportunities to get closer to the animals and also was a bit concerned with the conditions under which some, but by no means all, of the animals were kept. I put this down to the fact that the zoo was really an afterthought for the castle grounds, and trust that the zoo will continue to improve and expand. I am very glad to hear that they are creating new lion and orangutan exhibits shortly. Here are some of my favourite photographs, taken partly on a Samsung Digimax A7 and partly on my boyfriend's phone when my battery ran out (please provide a link back if you use any of these). :)

A wallaby poses


A capybara, world's largest rodent (I could not believe how big it really was!)

The endangered babirusa

Humboldt penguins, part of a large breeding colony

A lemur that ran past our feet and paused for breath on the step behind me

Acrobatics of a ring-tailed lemur

A crocodile amongst the turtles

The critically endangered Rothschild's giraffes, including new baby Keyah in the background.

Ori, a massive male sealion

Ori close-up!

A beautiful peacock

The reptile house: a colourful iguana

An albino variety of snake

I *think* this is a boa constrictor. Not my favourite exhibit.