Ameryn's Exotic Animal Adventures

Last year Chris and I took Ameryn to the beach for her first time. She had a blast, and already asks about when we can return. This trip also started a new hobby of hers- having her picture made with every animal possible. She started of with a dolphin, but was too small to reach out over the side of the tank safely, so I had to hold her. She was to interested in trying to touch the dolphin to worry about working the camera for once:). She then went on to have her picture made with a California sea lion. Her daddy was going to be in the picture with her (we thought it would be neat if they could do the same pose as this picture which was taken two years earlier), but she decided at the last minute that she wanted to go it alone with the giant sea lion. The result was priceless! Later in the same trip we took her to Zoo World, where she had her picture done with a beautiful Timber wolf, Dakota. Again, she chose to brave the massive beast alone.

It was against the rules for her to have her picture done by herself with the ring tailed lemur, so I had to sit beside her in this one.

It sounds a little against logic that a four year old can pet a wolf by herself but not be allowed to hold a lemur, but let me tell you, that monkey was crazy! It was jumping all over me trying to get that marshmallow! I can see where a small child might freak out with a spastic monkey! Her exotic animal adventures continue with our recent Gatlinburg trip. She loved the newly opened "Parrot Mountain." She got to feed the small conures and parrots by hand. They also had a lorikeet enclosure where you got to feed the lorikeets with cups of nectar (although these were much friendlier than the ones at the Nashville Zoo, or possibly just less full)

She even got to hold a full grown macaw named "Bella."

We headed up through the mountains to Cherokee, North Carolina where we visited the Cherokee Zoo. This is where we found the ultimate in animal photo opportunities: the chance to have her picture made with a live grizzly bear! I was amazed that they would let both of my children in such close proximity to a grizzly, but I had to be in the photo as well, you know, in case something went wrong. Wait for it people, it will knock your socks off!
That's what I'm talking about! :) There is sweet little Bella, the two month old grizzly cub, whose parents were in the enclosure directly across from us! If you noticed Rogan's absence in the bird pictures, it is because he was slightly frightened of them. He was all about the bear however, and wanted to hold and "have" it! I can't wait to see what kind of animal she will end up with next!