Who let the hogs out? Spring break 'Wild Days' packs Abilene Zoo
As the temperature increased last week, so did the size of the crowds at the Abilene Zoo. For spring break, the zoo held a week-long program called Wild Days that featured animal ambassadors conducting special presentations featuring the zoo's residents.
Alex Gonzalez, the animal care supervisor, stood in shorts and a T-shirt in the Caribbean flamingo habitat pond wearing rubber boots and a cap sporting two plastic pink flamingos atop his head.
He described to the gathered crowd how the birds were entering the time of year when they start looking for a mate and that everyone should be on the alert for some behavioral "dancing" to commence.
Elsewhere, visitors listened to presentations on a juvenile North American Alligator named AJ as Max Scott, a volunteer animal ambassador, carried him through the crowd.
AJ is the pint-sized version of Albert, the zoo's fully-grown 'gator and as a growing boy, will soon be too big to carry around.
Yogi the two-toed sloth was a big hit.
When asked if anyone could relate to the animal's naturally lackadaisical demeanor, a few women could be seen pointing to their men in the crowd.
A pair of African warthogs ended the show with the crowd asked to form up as a channel to guide them back to their habitat afterward. The critters' long legs, which were pointed out while they were onstage, were put to good use as they zipped past.
No doubt they had a meal waiting for them at the other end of that impromptu corridor. Show biz is hungry work.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Who let the hogs out? Spring break 'Wild Days' packs Abilene Zoo
