The orangutans, or "men of the mountain", seem extremely intelligent. Of any animal at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, they seem strikingly the most human-like. It's fairly easy to get a close look at the pair exhibited in the Indonesian Rain Forest, as they enjoy swinging around on the artificial vines.
Also a real crowd favorite - the banded mongooses. Would that be mongeese? I think not. There are reportedly 25 in the exhibit, and they sleep all snuggled up against each other, even in the hot daytime - is that a defense position against marauding predators? Whatever it is, they really look cute snoring all piled up in a jam. They are in the Africa section. The colony began with with a party of seven adults several years ago.
The big cats - Bengal tiger, lions, a leopard - always fun to see at the zoo. I especially enjoy the many primate exhibits. The spaces around the boardwalk in Indonesia are nice - forested cages built right into the Franke Park woods, with big spaces for the apes and monkeys to climb. The siamangs bring their babies close to the fence, and they pull leaves through the bars. These animals are monogamous, and the males take over the care of infants when they are about two years old. Modern parenting, I love it.
I also loved the bongo drums set up in the Africa section - so many bolted down there's room for a whole impromptu band jam session. I'm definitely a fan, once again. I'll be going back many times if fate allows. Please come with me!
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