Laila and Assunta

Zoos have become an important part of our family weekends.

We've been taking Laila on zoo visits since she was small. It wasn't so much a conscious effort to instill in her a love of nature or animals than it is an effort for her to learn about nature and animals. Our family field trips are always intended to be a learning experience for Baby Cat.
Last weekend we went to Malabon Zoo.

The last time all three of us were there was two years ago at about this same time of the year. Laila was 11 months old then and was only beginning to walk so I had her in a sling. She hadn't started talking yet so showed her pleasure at seeing the big, striped orange cats with big, round eyes and a low pitched hooting much like an owl's. It didn't look like she noticed that she shared my lap with Assunta the Orangutan when we had our photo taken.

This time around, it was evident that Laila enjoyed the trip. She hopped from one holding pen to the other, eager to see what animal was sleeping next-door. baby Cat was curious with all the strange-looking birds and other animals that were there and demanded that they each be named.

It's good that I can still satisfy her with 'Bird' and the 'bird's cousin' or the 'bird's mommy.' It hadn't occurred to me until late in the trip that zoo management put up signs indicating what the animals are called. So much for being a zoo veteran.

But what really was the highlight of the trip was watching the crocodile get fed--he would leap from the water to catch chunks of raw chicken dropped by a zoo employee just a few meters up-- and the photo session with Assunta the Orangutan.

This time, Laila sat with Assunta by herself. She wasn't afraid at all! It was amazing how open to new experiences Laila is. Daddy hadn't posed with Assunta the first time. He still wasn't keen on the idea of posing with her this time.

Laila still talks excitedly and repeatedly about the things she saw in the zoo. That's my reward--knowing that things I want her to learn are sinking in.