Taiwan - Taipei Zoo, Amazing Asses

Well, they have a special poo poo-themed play area for the children, why not a lesson on the bahonkuses of all these animals?  And as if on cue, just a few steps down from these enlightening graphics, we saw this:

Taiwan - Taipei Zoo, Ants

One could spend a lifetime - and many do - studying these amazing creatures.  Collectively they work, acting as one body for the good of the whole.  And each species looks different and behaves in its own amazing way.  And how tiny do those little brains have to be?  Incredible...

Taiwan - Taipei Zoo, Animal Clock

Taiwan - Taipei Zoo, Red and Yellow Flowers (or blooms, or whatever they are)

Taiwan - Taipei Zoo, Horn Billed Toucan

Would love to go to a place where species such as this can be seen in the wild.  They are so exotic it's hard to believe that they still flourish in the jungles of east Asia, and are not even endangered

This is the only pic that proved to be a keeper of a dozen or so shot of this guy.  It checks many boxes - exotic look, contrast in color, and of course is a shot of something through something.

Taiwan - Taipei Zoo, Red Flower

We were in a hurry to go see the gibbon fight, and on the way passed some visitors snapping away at this flower.  Making a mental note, I returned to the spot to capture the contrast of this beauty against the dark background.

Taiwan - Taipei Zoo, Flamingos Through Banyan Strands

And while on the subject of banyan strands, could not resist getting a shot of these flamingos through these strands in another part of the park.

Taiwan - Taipei Zoo, Banyan Strands

The ever-present banyan trees sometimes provided curtains of their strands adorning the sidewalks at the zoo.  A wild banyan tree from a jungle hike on Maui posted here.

Taiwan - Taipei Zoo, Wide Orangutan Shots

...and to top of the orangutan pics here are a couple of wide shots, both of which I thought were keepers.

Still think about the orangutan featured in a PBS documentary and mentioned in this post.  Even years after the ape was placed in the zoo, whenever the previous caretaker would come by to visit he would sign that he wanted to go to Dairy Queen!  If you can, look up and watch this fascinating story.

Taiwan - Taipei Zoo, Siblings and Mom Orangutans

Here are the three together, with focus shifted to the older sibling below.  Notice the strap in the upper image - a piece was removed because the shiny fastener, being in focus, distracted from the subject.