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The Navigator

Hippity-hopping down the ape trail

By RICK GERSHMAN
Published April 14, 2006

I wouldn't say I was scared, exactly, the last time I reported a story from Lowry Park Zoo. But let's be fair:

It takes at least a little courage to climb into a "sky ride" - you know, the thing that looks and operates like a ski lift - when it's brand new and hasn't opened to the public yet.

I'm not afraid of heights, mind you, and I'm plenty confident in the zoo's commitment to safety and quality.

But there's something about the sky ride, the way there's no track or anything else between you and the ground, the way you're hanging in the air, attached only by a metal arm to those cables above, the way t6 gg., frp h 264gfp

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Sorry, where was I? Just writing about the sky ride got me a little scared again. I had to step out and chill with The View for a few minutes. All better now.

So anyway, the zoo ride.

Huh, that's strange, there's cat fur all over the keyboard. Curious.

So anyway, about a year ago, I popped out to Lowry Park Zoo for the opening of Safari Africa's Rhino Reserve and the Treetop Skyfari ride.

The zoo's public relations manager at that time, Heather Mackin, assured me she had complete confidence in the ride, which passes over the park from as high as 45 feet.

But there's no accounting for superstition.

Heather was about to escort me onto the Skyfari when I pointed out that we were about to plop down into Carriage No. 13.

"Nope!" she cried, and pulled me aside.

I laughed as we waited for No. 14 and climbed in. Once we were airborne, Heather tried her best spin:

"Well, this is my lucky number."

Yeah, right. Whose lucky number is 14?

Anyway, our ride went perfectly fine, as you can tell by my presence here today. Though Heather might kill me for dredging up this story again.

Rachel Nelson is Lowry Park's PR guru these days, and she was kind enough to hook me up with some information about the zoo's annual Orangutan Egg Hunt, which happens today at 11 a.m.

And I didn't even know orangutans laid eggs!

Ha, ha!

Ha.

Heh?

Okay, sorry, that joke was weak. Hey, I didn't write it. Must have been that darn cat again. (Silly Pookie.)

Here's the deal on this Easter-themed event: Zookeepers hide decorated hard-boiled eggs throughout the outdoor exhibit, and the big hairy apes go and track 'em down.

Orangutans are highly intelligent animals, so I'm told they really dig these challenges, known as enrichment activities.

I haven't been to the event before, but I've seen some pictures, and the formula works like this:

Big ol' orangutans: Cute.

Cute little Easter eggs: Cute.

Big ol' orangutans plus Easter eggs: Better wear a helmet.

You can check out the hunt as part of the regular admission to the zoo, which has lots of other animals, including giraffes and rhinos and fish and birds and ...

I'm sorry, what's that, Pookie?

I mean, the zoo has more than 1,600 animals, including leopards and tigers and ...

Okay, fine, put away the claws. I'll say it:

It has cats.

Now please get off the freaking keybgfw/5f'g9$04.

Rick Gershman can be reached at rgershman@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3431. His Times blog, The Ill Literate, is at www.sptimes.com/blogs/tampaarts.

[Last modified April 13, 2006, 14:49:37]