The Artis (Zoo)

 We like zoos. KC, of course, volunteered at the Calgary Zoo for years. We like going to foreign zoos to see animals that aren't common in our neighborhood.


The Artis has been around since 1838, making it one really old zoo. They have a fascination with South American animals that didn't turn our crank, and have the usual "lions...

Serious dude

...tigers and bears, oh my". OK, they don't have tigers, and they only have Spectacled Bears. But they have leopards...

He had a fascination with a specific kid dressed in red and white

...and margays (who look like a thin version of Jello)...

Always on the hunt

...and penguins...

We got there at feeding time. The Great Blue Herons won.

...and Gundis, which I have never seen (or heard of) before today. Looking like a cross between a pika and a gerbil, they have traits of both.

They live in groups of up to 100 

Compare with the pika picture here 

Unlike pikas, they climb trees

They also have a butterfly garden (which unlike ours, actually has butterflies). If you can't impress your friends with your photography skills here, I don't know where you can.

But I think the best of all were the wolves. Not the Maned Wolf, who we could not really get a great look at but was in fact scrawny and looked like Professor Lupin, the werewolf character from Harry Potter. No, the regular wolves like the ones who live with us in Canmore. And it wasn't just the wolves...

Just like home

...but they had pups...

Not very old

...and the pups were feeding.

First comes the meat course 

Then comes the mom course

The Artis is well worth a visit while in Amsterdam.