St. Louis Zoo: North Side of The Wild

 Leaving the Apes of the Jungle Habitats you're nearly to the north east edge of the zoo.  Here the pathway turns west and crosses the Zoo Train's tracks where straight ahead are Bears and Penguins.  The first bear Habitat belongs to the zoo's Polar Bear.  The faux rock ridge that forms the back side of this habitat continues along connecting the Penguin House and the next set of bear Habitats (Grizzly and Black).

The Penguin House has a smallish exterior Habitat with a little colony of Humboldt Penguins.  Inside you encounter groups of three other species: King Penguin, Gentoo Penguin, and one of the Rockhopper species which was not distinguished by the signage.  I've never been in a Penguin habitat where you could actually, honestly, reach out and touch the birds!  It was amazing and a little weird.  I mentioned to one of the educators about the lack of natural lighting.  He seemed bristled and explained how the lighting is timed to replicate southern hemisphere seasonal shifts in sunlight.  Like artificial light is better than real light.  

In the next room was an equally accessible Puffin Habitat.

Moving toward the Zoo's Entrance, one more habitat for North American Bears.  The Grizzly Bear was out.

POLAR BEAR

Entrance to the Penguin House "Cave".

A little colony of Humboldt Penguins

HUMBOLDT PENGUINS

First room had educational interactive placards.

KING PENGUINS

Gentoo Penguins on the left, and King Penguins on the right.

ROCKHOPPER PENGUINS

ATLANTIC PUFFIN

Grizzly Bear Habitat

GRIZZLY BEAR