Parrots, Penguins and Parties Pt 2

Here are some images of the incredible beauty you can enjoy at Jungle Island.

Now - onto Penguins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here they are all lined up for us

And it's officially penguin time!!!!!!

They were willing to pose oh so nicely

Don't mind Jack's face. He's slowly melting due to the heat :)

This is what happens when you bring out the bucket of fish

Yes please, I will have a fishy

This is a baby flamingo - the only one to survive this year. She's only 3 months old. 

Back to penguins

Any more fishies guys?

This is Rafiki. He spent the ENTIRE time trying to smuggle himself home with me. He was my shadow - wherever I went, he followed. I was the only one who did not feed them fishies - so it definitely wasn't a food thing. The animal handlers were cracking up - they said that penguins definitely can choose favorites. Apparently I was Rafiki's favorite. I nearly stepped on him a dozen times because he was THISCLOSE to me!

Posing on the rocks

Matt petting a penguin

Matt, Jack and a penguin

Libby finally meets a penguin!

We nicknamed this one Grandma Penguin - she's in her 30's. About 10 years older than the oldest penguin in the wild. She has arthritis and can't walk well, so she stays in the water most of the time. 

More penguins

Apparently penguins are very cat like. They LOVE to play string!

The flamingos at Jungle Island - just like the old Parrot Jungle. 

Parrots, Penguins and Parties Pt 1

Today is Jack's 8th birthday! Today we choose to celebrate, laugh and live. Tears are a part of living, so we embrace those too.

To celebrate Jack's birthday, we went to Jungle Island in Miami. It used to be Parrot Jungle Island and before it was that it was simply Parrot Jungle in Pinecrest (way back before Pinecrest was Pinecrest). Even with the new location and fancy name, the parrots are still there and still cool.









Here's Pinkie - one of the oldest parrots on display there











Jack sharing some noms







One of the main reasons we decided to visit Jungle Island was for the penguins. They have a penguin exhibit that you can visit (with a special purchase) and actually touch and feed the penguins. Libby has a love for penguins, but has never seen one live and in person. So this was big on our to do list. First we sat through the animal show.

Our first view of the penguins



This is Rafiki. He was the penguin chosen for the show that hour. Later on, he feel deeply in love with me - but that is another story.



After the show the audience was invited to come to the edge of the fenced in area and watch them for about 5 minutes - so cool!





Then we had some time to kill before our meeting time with the penguins. Matt and I wandered over to the lorikeet cage while Jack and his buds headed off to the splash area. The lorikeet exhibit was actually this giant cage that you could walk through. For a dollar, one of the staff members would hand you a cup full of sugar water - which apparently they REALLY REALLY love. Here's Matt being mauled by countless little birdies.

At first everything is calm....



But before you know it, they are all over you! The flapping of their wings actually moves your hair. It's a little much, at least it was for me.




The red one was a bit of a bully - he pushed the others out of the way.













This guy wanted every last drop



A little while later, Libby and Mark joined us. The lorikeets LOVED Libby!



But I'm not sure the feeling was mutual







Stay tuned - penguins are next!!!!!!!!!!!!!!