Becoming a FONZ (ehh)

Stardate 66140.7

15:33 - Many Focus Foxies know that I am a big fan of zoos. I mean a huge fan! Recently, the National Zoo has had many births. After a long wait, they finally put the cheetah and fishing cat cubs on display. We excitedly ran to go see these little celebrities.

We got to the zoo a little late to see cheetahs. They were out, but they chose to be coy. We decided to visit the fishing cats cubs who decided to be coy as well! These cubs were stubborn and playing hard to get. Eventually, they would have to come out of their lofty hide outs. The fishing cats were the first to poke their heads out.  They played around with their mom and walked around the back of the enclosure. I got a picture of one of the fishing cat cubs, but their mom was much more photogenic. Fun fact, Focus Foxies, those spots make for great camouflage so you will have to take my word on their cuteness. My camera couldn’t capture their essence properly.  

One really special moment happened in the Panda Pavilion.  I became a FONZ (Friend of the National Zoo). I choose the young professional option. I will be getting a magazine and discounts on their events. We also got to go into the American Trail early, which brings me to my next adventure.

The American Trail opened! This trail featured many animals from North and South America. The trail had sea lions, otters and wolves, oh my! The otters and beavers put on a show for us. They swam around, and the beavers showed off feats of strength. I got pretty close to a wolf. How awesome is that? The sea lions had an amphitheater to watch them do their thing. The zoo opened a new sandwich stand with environmentally sustainable fish and shrimp. The sandwich was great but priced high. But what are you going to do? The zoo is free to get into.

We decided to make another swing around towards the cheetahs again. They were let out, and they were still being a bit coy. I tried getting more pictures of them. They were hiding behind a tree, and my equipment wasn’t as cool as the tons of professional photographers there. Justin and Carmelita (Cheetah cubs) just wanted to play without being bothered by us.

All in all, a proud day for this focus fox! Being a FONZ is important to me because it helps give back to the zoos I love so much!