So, May was nuts in the best way possible.
In the middle, I had to do a trip to Chicago for work. Sarah came with me and stayed in the hotel while I went to meetings all day. Actually, it was great to see people in person and get to connect with folks again. Since I miss most of the in-person events due to not flying, it was the rare chance I had to be with everyone. Very productive, but ultimately work-y. Not very exciting.
However.
What we got to do afterwards was mind-blowing.
So, my company had an award for folks who were there 4 or more years. They would put up $1,000 towards a “bucket list” item. It had to be something special, and there were a bunch of stipulations about what did or did not qualify. And when I hit my 4 year anniversary, I really struggled to figure out what exactly to do with it. I wanted to use it for something truly memorable, but my options were limited.
And then Sarah and I remembered about the Columbus Zoo.
If you don’t know, the Columbus Zoo is an absolutely amazing place. They actually have a second location called the Wilds in rural Ohio where they have thousands of acres and animals just roam in herds. But the zoo itself is at the forefront of conservation, animal veterinary practices, and study. And they have a special program where you can pay a flat fee up front and basically get an all-day behind-the-scenes tour. It’s pricey, not going to lie. But with it, you get admission and food for your whole group, a personal tour guide with a golf cart, and access to backstage areas and personal visits with animals.
And since Sarah’s parents still live in Columbus, it was something we could share with them.
So last week we drove to Columbus, and on Thursday, we had our adventure.
We first met up with our guide in the parking lot; he drove the golf cart right to our car so we didn’t even have to walk to the gate. Then he zoomed us past the gate and in through the delivery driveway. We took a back route to see the giraffes, but our real destination was the zoo’s outreach center. Once there, he brought us animals that they take to schools and other programs and WE GOT TO PET THEM.
Meet Wahoo the penguin, a binturong whose name I’ve definitely forgotten, Lucky the turtle, can’t for the life of me remember the name of the amazing Eurasian eagle owl, and one of the labradors the zoo uses to help raise baby cheetahs and foxes and everything else that needs socialization.
After that, our guide took us INTO the koala enclosure so we could literally stand underneath them while their keeper told us facts and answered all our questions. They did NOT poop on us, but it was close. We also got to see how the leaves are stored and hang out in the giant fridge while their keeper told us about the different varieties.
From there, we went to lunch, then we had a meet and greet with the cheetahs. They asked us not to take pictures, but I can tell you that we actually gave a cheetah BUTT SCRITCHES and Sarah got to do a little bit of training with one of them. Also? They’re huge in person, but they make the exact same faces Tadashi does when he wants food. I wish I had gotten pictures anyway, just for myself. But it was an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life.
After that, we went around the zoo for a bit to see the orangutans, including the newborn baby. We weren’t allowed in the back with them, though. My pictures are blurry because we were at a distance and behind glass, so I’m not going to bother to share them. Sorry.
The next thing on the agenda was a private behind-the-scenes tour of the seal and sea lion area. We saw their food schedules and the huge freezers on site (the bigger ones with months’ worth of food are where all the food is stored in the backstage areas) and got to walk around the enclosures out of the public eye. The trainers even brought one of the seals out to do some enrichment right in front of us. I was less than 2 years from the nose of the big guy booping a ball. It was UNREAL. Then they took us into the pavilion where they put on shows for zoo guests and did a private show just for us! Sea lions are hard to get pictures of when they’re in motion, but I got this one!
Last on the tour was a trip back to the giraffes where we got to feed them. That was a whole separate adventure — the giraffes eat FAST and if you don’t provide leaves at their preferred pace, they will come after the bunch in your hands. There are actually volunteers whose whole job is to stand there all day and feed the giraffes alongside the guests so that the giraffe doesn’t get impatient. And their tongues are slimy and their heads are so cool up close!
Between Sarah and I, we have a couple hundred pictures and videos from the whole day, including lots of family shots with Sarah’s parents. And it was worth every dollar we paid, including what was outside the $1,000 from my company. I will never forget how a penguin’s feathers feel, or what five purring cheetahs sound like all together. I will never forget the smell of eucalyptus with a sleepy koala overhead. I will never forget the sound of the seals and sea lions barking at each other and playing and splashing us. And everyone at the zoo was so eager to tell us everything we could ever want to know about every aspect of the animals’ care and training, of the conservation programs, even the individual animals’ personalities and funny stories.
It was a bucket list item I didn’t even know I needed on my list. And honestly? If we ever have the money to spare, I might very well do it again. Maybe we’ll bring some nieces and nephews next time. Because it’s one thing to see these animals on TV, or even from behind glass in a zoo. It’s another to be able to touch them, or be 6 inches away from them. It makes them so much more real.
I genuinely can’t thank the Columbus Zoo enough for the gift. I paid them for the experience, but I definitely got the better end of the deal.
