Zoo Fest.

Last night I attended my third annual Zoo Fest. It used to be called Night on Safari (or something like that) but has been rebranded this year with a nice logo and very good looking event literature (like a map of the place and where/when the various demonstrations were happening).

This fundraiser is super super fun. The first year I went I was hanging out with the zoo's director and we accidentally stumbled across the sea lion getting his pool cleaned out. So I got to have this wicked behind-the-scenes glimpse of the goings-on. And the sea lion flopping around getting sprayed by a hose was pretty cool.

That was also the year I got to see and touch a little baby monkey, Penelope. So cute.

They always have animals out during these events so you can get up close to a lot of neat creatures. Last year my favourite was an armadillo. This year the first "little" dude I saw was this tortoise!

COOL!

There is something about seeing these awesome creatures that makes me giddy and happy. I was all over it. At certain points while we were touring through the zoo I had my hands clenching the fences and was trying to beckon the animals over to me. The wolves were particularly majestic, and I invited the tiger to come live in my dad's garden.

They ignored me.

But I was allowed to pet this tortoise. Very neat, waxy shell.

We ran into shaw TV's Jacqueline Greenly, a professional friend and member of the zoo's board. I think she has the most perfect teeth I've ever seen in real life.

And the thing is she is so genuinely kind and nice. People this beautiful usually are not.

I really like her.

There are lots of local restaurants that have food stations around the zoo grounds so you check out the animals and have drinks and sample food too.

The King and I had super yummy spring rolls. Being a first-gen Canadian-Chinese, I would often get made fun of for liking the more caucasian of Asian foods (such a spring rolls or sweet and sour things) when I was younger. I sort of don't care. If it tastes good to me, I'll eat it.

Speaking of things I eat and don't eat. Here is a python.

I've tried snake before. I don't really like it. Rubbery.

It was HUGE. And just finishing shedding its old skin. I made a comment about how it was like Dexter with eczema.

Of all the food I was actually most impressed with the trio offered by Fantasyland Hotel. This was surprising because my impression of this hotel, which is housed in the West Edmonton Mall, is a hotel with theme rooms and uh... it's just sort of catered to the truck driving out-of-towners. I think it's probably my qualms of car-oriented establishments that makes me biased (the entrance to the hotel is weird and ugly because of the nature of its existence as a part of the mall), and I've never had very high regard for the hotel.

The offerings from the Fantasyland's kitchen, however, were delicious. There was a lot of attention to detail with the plating even though it was just a casual thing. At most of the other places you just grabbed a paper plate and a napkin and went on your way. It was impressive to see the team take such care with their food (there was a little chicken satay, a mousse thing with berries in it and chocolate art stuff, and a savoury shrimp skewer).

Later on the tortoise was being transported back to its home. Active transportation!

Leanne and I were being giant dorks. The zoo has some of these statue things leftover from... days of yore? They're a bit cheesy. But nobody can deny the sense of nostalgia they invoke.

A musical duo that looked and sounded like they were right out of a Wes Anderson movie.

I want this topiary on my lawn.

Erel the owl!

I got to pet his tummy and he didn't gouge my eyes out. What a nice owl.

Hee hee!

There was a barn owl too. I remembered the name of this owl from a video I watched in science class many many years ago. The heart-shaped face is very distinctive.

My favourite Whimsical Cupcakes were being represented at the event.

Inside the silent auction tent there was this zoo-themed cake that was going to be live auctioned off.

And on our way out I hopped on a fire truck for a photo op. Like I said, I was in a silly mood.

Lalalala!

I love this event. All the animal handlers have such love for their charges and the creatures really bring out wonderment in people, and attendees were all excited about the animals and the local food.

I'm already looking forward to next year.