Toledo Zoo Part I: Orangutans, Gorillas, and Monkeys!

Over winter break Robin and I decided to head somewhere neither of us had ever been before: the Toledo, Ohio Zoo & Aquarium! I LOVE photography, nature, and animals, so anywhere that allows me to do/see all three at once is awesome in my book. Even more so, the Toledo Zoo is one of the best zoos in the nation and they take in injured animals and help to breed endangered species to bolster wild populations, which is incredibly noble! I’m happy to help fund and spread the word about such kind hearted people!

Our first stop was the primate section of the zoo where I made a new friend!

Leela the orangutan seemed to enjoy looking at the photos I’d taken of the other animals at the zoo. She was so incredibly intelligent & curious! When she wanted me to swipe to the next picture, she’d wave her little hand and smile, she was amazing!! I waved goodbye to her when I was departing and she blew me a kiss!

The other orangutan with whom she was housed, Bajik, was one of the most majestic animals I’d ever seen, and so photogenic!

Male orangutans have cheek flaps as seen above and below, while females like Leela have smoother, rounder faces!

The texture of their hands and fur were absolutely stunning! I’d never seen an orangutan so close before, and my only regret is that I couldn’t spend more time with them! Sadly, wild orangutans’ habitats are being threatened by Palm Oil production. They are arboreal creatures, which means they live in trees. Palm Oil harvesting is done by clear cutting and even burning their habitats. If you want to help these dazzling and delightful creatures survive in the wild, check food in grocery stores and opt for products that aren’t made with palm oil.

In another enclosure was a female, her baby, and her mate! The baby was so sweet and playful!

Gorillas!
Across the way were three western gorillas, which were so handsome! The lighting in this area was very dim and yellow, so I wasn’t able to get many photos unfortunately. Trust me, they were so much fun to watch!

Monkeys
The smaller relatives of Leela and Bajik, these little monkeys were so sweet and mobile! They wouldn’t sit still, which made them tremendously amusing to watch, but difficult to photograph as well! Below are two of my favorite shots from their enclosure!