On Wednesday my family had an opportunity to visit one of the zoos within driving distance of us just outside of Battle Creek, MI (you know, the home of Kellogg’s and Post Cereals).  Someone had passed on some tickets, our youngest animal lover had just had a birthday, making it the perfect reason to get out and see some of God’s Cool Animals.

Binder Park zoo isn’t anywhere like the size of the big city zoos, but it is wonderfully shady, has some great walking trails, and has some very special animals.  Here are some of the highlights of our trip:

The Patagonian Mara was one of the first animals we saw.  I don’t know anything about it except that it’s a rodent from Patagonia.  I thought it was a tiny deer when we first walked up and it was resting!  I found out that it’s the 3rd largest rodent alive today.  It’s a popular animal for zoos to keep, but its habitat is becoming more limited all the time, causing some worried about its future.

And here are some of the other exotic animals we saw:

African Raquet-Tailed Roller

common

African Red River hog

common

Well, this one is actually made of Limestone (you know, cement) 😀  But it was really cool being so close to a full-sized model of one of my favorite animals.

Extinct

One tired Cheetah (it was a warm afternoon, I would have been napping, too)

Endangered

Aldabra tortoise

Threatened (estimated 150,000 on Aldabra Island)

White-handed (Lars) Gibbon

Endangered

Ring-tailed Lemur

Endangered

Reticulated giraffe

Common

Mongolian (Przewalski’s) Wild Horse

Extinct in the wild

Mexican Wolf

highly endangered

I’ve got more things to share about my local environment and animals, but I’ll save them for next time.

For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.  Romans 8:19-22


Cheri Fields

I'm a homeschooling blogger and book writer. The gift God has given me for His kingdom is to understand complex stuff (mostly) and share it with others using everyday words. It is a joy to share God's wonders with all kinds of people and especially the next generation!

8 Comments

forhisgloryandpraise · at

By the way, love the pictures of the animals and that you notated their status as to their endangerment. Thank you!

forhisgloryandpraise · at

Congratulations! I’ve nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award! Check it out… http://forhisgloryandpraise.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/very-inspired-blogger-award/

forhisgloryandpraise · at

Congratulations! I just nominated you for the Imaginative Youth Blogging Award! Check it out… http://forhisgloryandpraise.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/now-for-a-few-awards-i-designed/

    Cheri-CreationScience4Kids · at

    Wow, that’s the best award ever! Unless it means I’m supposed to be a youth myself? Thanks, I’ll check it out tomorrow. 🙂

      forhisgloryandpraise · at

      No you don’t have to be a youth, just post things for young people, that helpful, encouraging, such as lessons, advice, pictures, science stuff. Just nothing bad or hurtful. So you definately deserve this award.

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