DAY 2: Sunday, July 2nd
“Just about a year ago
I set out on the road
Seekin’ my fame and fortune
Lookin’ for a pot of gold
Things got bad and things got worse
I guess you know the tune
Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again”
- Lyrics by John Fogerty (CCR)
The second day of the trip saw me drive an hour or so to Point Arena, another in a very long line of California destinations that I’ll have over the 18-day journey. Reaching B. Bryan Preserve meant traversing a sky-high cliff-top highway that is downright scary early in the morning. I had already experienced the road at night but this time around I had a choice while creeping down the coastal highway. I could choose to veer closer to the center line and thus stay away from the edge, but then there would be the occasional vehicle roaring around the corner and I’d be thrusting my life into their hands. The alternative was to veer closer to the outer part of the road but the fog rolled around and was like the grim shroud of death as it sneakily obscured the outer limits of the road. When the fog finally lifted, like a veil at a ghoulish wedding, the calamitous cliff drops were revealed and that was perhaps the most frightening part of the whole trip. Needless to say, if one wishes to drive from Canada down to Point Arena, California, in order to tour an obscure, relatively unknown zoo then navigating their way through stupendously awesome highways that were often signposted with 10 miles per hour (16 km per hour) and 15 miles per hour (24 km per hour) signs is par for the course. I’ve travelled just about the entire length and breadth of the United States and I have never been so exhausted as the first couple of days of this trip. Give me a long stretch of highway where I don’t have to make a hairpin turn every 5 seconds…the constant rush of being on a rollercoaster of a road is not for me even though I truly love driving.
Odds n’ Ends:
- News out of Vancouver is that the city has banned the sale of all dogs, cats and rabbits at every pet shop in the city. Residents who wish to own one of those animals has to buy one from a licensed breeder or the SPCA. Very interesting but not surprising from Vancouverites.
- In the same city, the Vancouver Aquarium has opened a new exhibit (Steller’s Bay) that sees the Steller’s Sea Lions in the old Beluga Whale tank. The chance of new belugas coming to Vancouver is extremely unlikely and the habitat will be fantastic for sea lions.
Zoo/Aquarium #2: B. Bryan Preserve
This “zoo” might be the most remote establishment that I’ve ever visited in my zoo-going lifetime. It takes hours of snaking one’s way down the craggy cliffs of the California coastline (alliteration, anyone?) and perched high up on a mountainside is this privately-owned facility. Apparently for much of the year it is chilly and foggy and even though it was a July weekend the whole group of visitors was bundled up in jackets and pants. There are only 6 species at the establishment and the only way to visit is to pay $35 US and pre-book an appointment in order to get a slot on their guided tour schedule. The big stars are 5 male Rothschild’s Giraffes, all around 6-7 years old and all from San Diego Zoo Safari Park. There is also a single Plains Zebra (brought in simply to showcase the differences between zebra species), approximately 12 Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra, 12 Grevy’s Zebra, 14 Greater Kudu, 16 Sable Antelope and 17 Roan Antelope.
The tour was packed and consisted of perhaps 25-30 people of all ages, genders and ethnicities. We were given a short, 5-minute talk about what the preserve does and what to expect on a tour, and then we had a brief walk to a couple of multi-acre paddocks. There was a single male Plains Zebra in one of the enclosures and a single male Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra in the other. After 10 minutes of talking and the two keepers tossing treats to the animals, we were then jammed into a trio of safari jeeps with rugged canopies and bench seats. Knowing that B. Bryan Preserve was 110 acres in size, I was expecting to be traveling over hills and through valleys but in essence the land covered is rather small. There was a short drive and a talk, another drive and talk, and after the third and final jaunt the crowd was taken to the giraffes and we were given plenty of food to feed the animals, which was the real highlight of the tour. From start to finish I was at the facility for maybe 1 hour and 15 minutes. One surprising fact is that the preserve only has one main keeper, plus a summer intern that is only there for 2 months of the year. The owner was the one who drove the safari jeep that I was in and she said that the facility runs with a tight, “skeleton staff” and even getting supplies is difficult due to the geographical location of the park.
As a hardcore zoo enthusiast who is intent on visiting every zoo and aquarium I come across I felt that this establishment was another step in that direction. However, due to the extreme driving conditions, remote location, year-round chilly weather and lack of many species…I’d never go back. I enjoyed seeing large herds of antelope, which you almost never see in major zoos, but once was enough. Future plans include the tentative possibility of expanding the giraffe barn in case there is a need to house a couple more male Rothschild’s Giraffes.
Zoo/Aquarium #3: Micke Grove Zoo
Micke Grove Zoo is set inside a beautiful little park that also has a water splash area for children, a playground, scenic lawns and many popular zones for families within the city of Lodi, California. Entrance to the park itself is $6 while the tiny zoo is only $5 as it can truthfully be toured in about 30 minutes. The next major project at this small zoo is Asian Trek for Snow Leopards, even though the current Snow Leopard exhibit is arguably the best thing in the zoo! I visited on an incredibly hot Sunday afternoon and it was nice to see that the zoo, even with its size, handed out a map (in colour) and was fairly busy with many Hispanic families wandering around looking at the animals. There is a very nice representation of wildlife from Madagascar but also several outdated cages that nevertheless were packed with enrichment items. The zoo puts many cardboard boxes and kiddie toys into its exhibits and while those items are obviously not found in nature at least I saw several species engaged with their furnishings. One major complaint is that the Gardner Mediterranean Aviary closes at 3:00 every day and so while I was able to see everything from outside, I was not able to get close enough to see the full species list.
The species list for the entire zoo is 29 species (excluding the Mediterranean Aviary): Snow Leopard, Bobcat, Coendou, Prevost’s Squirrel, Ringtail, Fossa, Ring-Tailed Lemur, Red Ruffed Lemur, Black and White Ruffed Lemur, Black-Handed Spider Monkey, Black Tufted-Ear Marmoset, Golden Lion Tamarin, Cotton-Top Tamarin, Southern Chilean Pudu, Golden Eagle, Yellow-Knobbed Curassow, Turkey Vulture, Swainson’s Hawk, Red-Fan Parrot, Black Parrot, Northern Pintail, Ruddy Duck, Scarlet Ibis, Radiated Tortoise, Pacific Pond Turtle, Madagascar Giant Day Gecko, Standing’s Day Gecko, Golden Mantella Frog and Madagascar Hissing Cockroach.
Or are you just going to post comparisons in this thread?