The Local Wildlife Study Animals

This week we focused on wildlife. We headed to the expansive huge tiny Billings Zoo.

There were lots of snakes and lizards in the main house.

They've trained their big cats to hold nice and still so you can pet them without losing your limbs.

We viewed the turkey, which Makayla deemed "scary".

Since I left my change at home, resourceful Hailey found enough dropped food on the ground to feed the animals.

Makayla says she'd be really happy if I bought this horse for her birthday.

They have matching hair AND hair-dos.

Hailey: "That goat is fat. Do you think it hurts her feelings if I call her fat?"

We stopped by Farmer Jones'.

We strolled to the koi pond, where duck eagle-eyed Hailey spotted something in the bush.

We spent the next 4 hours watching this little family.

They even came over to our side so we could see them better.

We walked to the end of the zoo to see the new tigers. We also spotted a couple of bears, two bald eagles, and one lone wolf.  And that, folks, is Billings Zoo in its entirety. 

We came home and watched a movie I checked out from the library after Judy mentioned it on her blog. The movie mentions that when a baby elephant was born, the filmmakers found him after noticing a flock of birds eating the placenta. Hailey instantly focused on the placenta-what is it, why is it there, what happened to hers at birth. I'm always tickled by what catches Hailey and Makayla's interest. It's never what I expect.

 

Of course, we also read some library books about elephants.



We ended the experience by making elephant ears. 

These two love nothing more than making yeast bread. They're getting pretty good at it.



After kneading and rising, you make a ball and flatten it out.

Of course, creative Hailey always thinks of more interesting things to do. Here's her dough elephant.

Next you cook the ears in hot oil. Doesn't this just look soooo healthy? I don't ever fry food like this and was a bit appalled by how much oil it used up. Nevertheless, we must all make sacrifices for the sake of science.

A baby elephant and a mommy elephant ear, sprinkled with nutritious sugar/cinnamon.

Hailey often smells new food before she tries it. It cracks me up.

Two thumbs up from Hailey.

Makayla didn't care for them, but she loved the raw dough.



Next week is fair week-can school be far behind?