Breakfast with Chimps

For my birthday my neighbor bought us tickets to Breakfast with Chimps at the new Africa section of the Baltimore Zoo. 

Someone else created a lovely video of last night's rally in DC.

I got to meet a Madagascar Hissing Roach - they defend themselves by scaring you into thinking there are snakes nearby. I got to touch (don't tell, not allowed) a Madagascar Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec - not spiny! I got to watch polar bears swimming around and around and around, so often I was able to figure out what a good shot would be and then to get it. I had a big rubber hood so I could shoot through glass while avoiding reflections which pleased the folks who worked at the zoo and confused everyone else. 

Chimps have to bond with someone or they won't follow instructions. The keepers use hand signals, but some chimps are brilliant, and some learn words. One of the keepers told us that the chimp that selected her to "bond" with was brilliant, understood lots of words, and listened when she talked with other keepers. 

Oh, and I got a little toy chimp, which I fully expect Samuel to steal from me. 

This was the goofiest picture I took so I chose it for Silly Saturday.