The Five Jordans: Lions, Tigers and Stingrays......Oh my!

Today, we made an impromptu visit to the Zoo, one of our favorite places in St Louis. There is a Sting Ray exhibit that isn't permanent and it leaves in September and we really didn't want to miss it. Not to mention the fact that it was a beautiful summer day - too nice to stay indoors.

We went to see the Sting Rays first. If you haven't seen them and are in the St Louis area, they are definitely worth the trip. They charge a $1.50 for zoo members or $3 if you are not, but they only take in a small group at a time and give you plenty of time to interact with them. Well worth the money. (I may be wrong, but I think on the weekdays if you get there before 10am its free to get in.)

Sting rays of all shapes, sizes and colors swim around this pool. You can put your hands in and they swim right up to you and you can touch them. They feel slightly slimy but soft and apparently they do not sting. A small one they were weighing, weighed a surprising 19 pounds! The zoo keeper explained that they are made up almost entirely of muscle.

Next we headed over to the penguins, Ella's favorite animals at the zoo. They have adorable penguins and puffins that live in a very cold exhibit. The penguins seem to play to their audience and they come right up the glass or sometimes to the surface and you would almost swear that they are splashing people on purpose.

Ella and Aunt Charlotte get splashed by the penguins!

Check out this adorable little bear. Based on its size, you might think its a baby bear however, its actually full grown. We happened upon them during feeding time. They were given a variety of fruit: apples, mango, bananas and oranges. It was fascinating to watch them peel the fruit before eating. Especially considering the huge claws they have.

Riley was our Junior docent and made sure we knew the correct name for each animal, how many are left on the planet, what they eat.....you get the drift.