See the happy animals (part 2)

We started off the day with a bang when my son fed the penguins.  So, it made me wonder if we had peaked early. 

We wandered through the zoo heading to the opposite corner, seeing many animals along the way.  I was more and more impressed with their enclosures and the health of the animals.  Many of them were playing about and seemed stimulated.

The meerkats on surveillance. 

They had 3 enclosures connected with tubes to run between.

The baby pudu was on display with her momma.

The red panda was enjoying a snack.

My boys peeking into the prairie dog enclosure. 

These peep holes put them right in the middle of their prairie.

Determined to see the koalas, we stayed focused to get where they lived.  As soon as we entered their home, we were shocked by how many koalas were hanging out.  I don't know how many we expected, but there were 6 or 8 hanging out in trees behind some glass.  While most of them were napping, one of them was awake and seeking a mid-morning snack.  I have never seen a koala so active.  It was climbing all over and munching away.  Since my husband went to Australia on a business trip, my son has been obsessed with koalas.  He was elated to see them so close - especially the super active koala.

As we continued along in a koala daze, I barely realized we had entered a new enclosure.  That was until a sloth slunk across a rope right above my head!  As a huge sloth fan, it was incredible!!!  I stopped in my tracks and just stared for some time.  I was entranced, even more than my son was with the koalas.  I have never in my life been close enough to a sloth that I could have touched it.  I honestly thought that if I lifted my arm I could have touched its wiry fur, but it was probably still out of my reach.

When we walked out of the koala and sloth building, we all gushed over and over about what we just experienced.  We couldn't believe we had just been so close to such amazing creatures.

Up next, we walked into a huge pen where kangaroos hopped (or more accurately lounged) in wide open spaces.  Just like the penguins, they were free to roam all over while the humans stuck to the sidewalk.  It was great to see them have so much green space and even a large pool to frolic in, if they so chose.

Our little trip to "Australia" was really fun.  It made me enjoy this zoo even more than I already was. 

The wallabies liked feeling tall!

I really liked our time at Saitama Children's Zoo.  I was impressed with the enclosures and spaces for animals.  My son had a grand time interacting with a variety of animals and learning all sorts of facts.  (Did you know that koalas dine on up to 30 varieties of eucalyptus in the wild?  Saitama Children's Zoo grows 20 different kinds and gives the koalas 5 varieties each day!)  He can now tell me interesting things that I didn't previously know.  As far as Japanese zoos go, so far this one is the best we've seen.  It actually gives me hope.