LIFE: Visiting The Zoo in Winter Months

You might not necessarily consider visiting zoo's during the winter months but it's well worth bundling up, sticking on the layers (in this instance two pairs of socks and gloves) and having a wander in the off season. Come summer when the masses hit with their picnic baskets and children in toe, you'll find many of the animals inactive - much to the discontent of visitors wishing and declaring the animals to always be doing something regardless. Yet for many animals the Mid West summers can be just too warm for them, the colder climes are their season, and now is the time to get out and see them being active while the masses stay home.

Wrapping ourselves up warm we took to our local Detroit Zoo this weekend to just see which animals were making the most of the colder weather - in fact many of them were. The Polar Bear (a regular on this blog) was enjoying himself in his pool - attacking playfully, tossing around his plastic barrels and balls, the two otters chasing and swimming after each other, their waterfall glistening against a backdrop of icicles to the camels just not being at all bothered about the snow under his tummy. Granted for us humans there were quick dashes between the indoor exhibits to keep warm and battle my steamed up glasses yet alone camera lens but it was fun all the same. 

You might this this weather would make penguins feel right at home, yet here in the US many penguin exhibits are housed inside (the only one I haven't seen inside is at the Toledo Zoo, Ohio) due to again, the summer heat. Sadly penguins wouldn't far too well in those temperatures, yet compared to seeing how penguins are houses in the UK - I'm thinking of particularly of Edinburgh Zoo, penguin buildings always seem to be a little on the dark side in the US. Nevertheless as a lover of the penguin I'm really looking forward to the purposed new penguin building that the Detroit Zoo in planning to open by the end of 2015.

So get wrapped up, miss the crowds and go see the animals while they are enjoying their favorite time of the year!

Which if your favorite time of the year for zoo trips?