Metro Richmond Zoo: View 9 of 12

Adjacent to this area moving further westward you encounter a pair of pig/hog species from Africa: a pair of Common Warthogs and at one Red River Hog (native to equatorial Africa).  Nearby is a small colony of African Penguins.  I noted that most of the ones out, and I assume some weren't (I counted a total of 7) were young.  You could tell by their lack of white plumage.  You know I also love Penguins and the little African ones in particular.  Also, as a member of the Maryland Zoo I am spoiled by the finest habitat for these little guys in any zoo anywhere!  So I wouldn't characterize the way they are kept here as abusive, but I wouldn't be afraid to say it's rather pathetic.

I've described this zoo as more in the mold of a farm than a contemporary zoo and for a lot of animals that fine, but for some, you really have to look to the contemporary zoo park and what is being offered to provide a quality of life for animals to right by them.  And speaking of farms...the next stop just a step away is the zoo's petting zoo and home to the zoo's camels.  Thy have three each of Dromedary and Bactrian Camels.  The petting zoo is a wild menagerie of goats, sheep, little deer, I think maybe Sika Deer, but damned if I could find an identifying marker anywhere in the area.  Which was unusual in that the rest of the zoo is well marked.

 King of the Goat Mountain?

Sika Deer?  Any thoughts?