Randuwa II: St. Louis Zoo: North Entry and Lakeside Crossing

Buckle up, Buttercup--Zoo Visit #3, the St. Louis Zoo. Founded in 1903, it is a gem in a city with much that shines in the way of public amenities. I have a two degrees of separation association with the St. Louis Zoo; our Amur Leopard, Sofiya, at the Maryland Zoo was born here. Of the many Species Survival Programs organized by the AZA, Amur Leopards are one of the hallmark species StLo Zoo participates in.

We came to the North Entrance which is the main way in. The zoo is free. The welcome center is expansive with a large gift shop, restaurant, amphitheater, educational spaces, administration offices, etc. Once on the other side, you step out onto a balcony that presents a vista of the center of the Zoo. You get an actual paper map! Imagine? To the right there are high fences and construction. To the left and center, pathways and a large pond. We decided to start by just going up the center.

The first thing we came to of note was a large pavilion like restaurant with a wide covered porch full of tables and seats--all empty at this early, gray hour of the morning. From the porch overlooking the pond we saw our first creatures, White Pelicans and geese.

Passing beyond the porch, the Sea Lion Sound was the first focus habitat we visited. It's home to nine California Sea Lions and three Harbor Seals. Entering into the underwater viewing area, we met the first of a handful of paid educators. He explained to my interest that the zoo only uses volunteers during the summer months, and it seems they don't do interpretation like I do at the Maryland Zoo. After being entertained royally by several of the seals who seemed as delighted to see us as we were to see them, we toured the pool from above. A great start to or visit. An excellent habitat for these species on a par with the one at the Smithsonian National Zoo in DC.