A day at Borås zoo

Borås zoo May 22 2010

A few minutes before 10 I joined the line in front of the zoo in Borås, Sweden. It is only a 40 minute drive from my home to see some of the world's most beautiful animals. In Borås they are treated in the best of ways. They always look relaxed and happy and are able to live in a nice environment that makes them able to behave in their natural way.

The first stop was at the lake with flamingos. They have a new chicken. About 30 flamingos and they could only produce one chicken! They don’t even breed at all until they are a pretty big group. The chicken were grey, the pink color comes later on when it has eaten the flamigo diet.


Later on are the bongos :O an antelope from Kenya and Western Africa. They look like fantasy animals :O so strange in the Swedish vegetation.


Up at the Savannah the elephants were just walking out on the big field from the stables. Last year's baby look great. There were no giraffes :( The zebras were too far away and did not want to show their new baby. The buffalos are one of the most dangerous animals on the African savannah, not even lions like to attack them. Ah, the giraffes were in the stables looking out.


Then there, beyond the savannah, there would be a real show later on when the proud cheetah mom and her 8 amazing kids would be out in front of the audience. 8 babies at one time is a world sensation.

At the monkeys only one monkey were hanging in a tree and another was sitting at the door to their home looking a little morning tired. I walked on to the tigers and lions, I guess it was way too early in the morning for these animals.

Back to the cheetahs and they were already out early. The kids were running around jumping on their mother, stopping looking at their audience, showing off some running skills and tried to get up the trees. So cute. They are small princes and princesses and I think they know that. Their mother seemed very relaxed despite kids screeming in the audience.

The place in front of the cheetah became crowded and after a while it was time for me to leave my place at the front. I walked up to the savannah restaurant for lunch. They serve savannah burger :O which animal is that made of? :O they did not specify. I ate the vegetarian savannah burger, probably made of grass the animals did not want to eat on the savannah :O no really, it was great food.

I walked back around the savannah, the elephants came close, so did one of the ostrichs. He looked at me and I said "hello". He probably thought I was and idiot. They can kick with big claws, better stay away. The zebras were still too far away. The guinea fowls made cute sounds. But the big thing was the elephants since they had not been out the last time I visited. The giraffes were now out on the other side in a small yard. The savannah guide informed giraffes are very sensitive to changes and have not been out on the savannah so far this year. One giraffe does not even want to leave the stables. Oh their tongue is so cool ;)

The tigers were now awake and did some walking. The sun was warm and they seemed to enjoy the wonderful day. The lions still thought it was too early for showtime. The monkeys were all out playing and the small orangutan baby is so cute. Looking at the chimpazee smiling in front of cameras made it so obvious we humans are their relatives it was scary.

I had ice cream and coffee with the tigers only 100 m away. When I went back to the lions for the 3rd time it was finally showtime. They were in front of the window posing and looking at the humans. The big male walked around looking very satisfied and proud of his two females and two children. If I did not know better I would think they would like to get a hug ;)

The mongooses are really cool. There were so many! Both inside and outside and they were eating all the time. A kid asked if they were the cheetah babies :D


The lynxes and wolfes were not at home. Their place is being reconstructed. But who cares? It is never possible to see them anyway. There were no rhinos :( The African wild dogs are never to be seen either.

Then all of a sudden I was in front of the most amazing thing: the South African seal baby. The mother jumped in the water and the baby screamed with a sound close to a sheep. It was afraid to follow his mother so mummy came back to try and push it in. No, it did not work. Mother jumped in the water again, kid stayed, screeming.


Now it was hot and the only ones having a refreshing pool is the penguins. The penguins have armbands and in a couple the male and female have the same color. Couples are bounding for life. The raccoons sat in the entrance to their house again as always. The moose babies were sleeping. The reindeer looked too warm. There were a cute bison baby. Kids were riding ponies in a circle. Ducks looked like very nervous animals. Hens were making sounds all the time. The raccoons were finally out of their house and up in a tree. I were back at the bongos again and time to end the visit.