Monday greeted the History of Medicine group with an exciting look at the Cologne Zoo. Julia and Brian were our guides, and they gave us the full tour, seeing what goes on behind the scenes with the food distribution and elephants. Beginning our tour at the front of the zoo, Julia explained a bit of history and fun facts about meerkats and the other animals. We slowly made our way around the zoo, taking pictures of different animals. We learned about everything from racoons to prairie dogs to bison.
In front of the giraffe enclosure, Brian led us to the back of the building where a trainer was waiting with a bucket of bananas. The giraffes lined up at the fence, anxious for the treat. Their long black tongues were over a foot long as they reached for the bananas that the students were offering. Julia led us to the back of the park where the shipments of food were unloaded from the trucks and distributed according to the different animal's needs. There, we received some insight into the animal's feeding patterns.
After leaving the kitchens, we headed for the elephants. We were able to go where only a thick metal gate was separating us from Bindu, an enormous elephant. However, we were safe, and were even able to take some great pictures of the giant. The trainer then showed us the contraption used to contain the elephants while grooming their massive feet. It looked exactly like something from Jurassic Park! He explained the measures taken in order to keep the elephant's feet healthy and clean. We were even able to walk right up to the control center, where the trainer showed us how they can manipulate the cameras and open the gates right from a desk.
Our last adventure of the day was at the ape enclosure. We saw three different species of monkey, each one more different than the last. At the ape house, we encountered Bonnie and Clyde. Brian had bottle-fed Bonnie when she was a baby. She showed her affection by following us around the entire area. In all, the zoo visit was a wonderful excursion that no regular tourist would be able to experience. Seeing more than just the furry critters and visiting places where only employees walk was definitely something special.
