Interesting facts

The poison arrow frogs of South and Central America are the most poisonous animals in the world.

Penguins can convert salt water into fresh water.

The hummingbird is the only bird that can fly backwards.

Billy goats urinate on their own heads to smell more attractive to females.

The Giant South African Earthworm can grow up to 22 feet long and 1 inch in thick.

Squirrels can't remember where they hide half of their nuts.

Blue and fin whales can create the loudest sound by animals ever recorded.

Bulls are colourblind, therefore will usually charge at a matador's waving cape no matter what colour it is - be it red or neon yellow!

If you leave a goldfish in a dark room for years, it will turn white.

A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.

Leopard Lacewing Caterpillars

The hidden perks of being a docent? When you make friends with so many like-minded docents who are always sharing the plethora insights and experience.. e.g. this fellow docent who graciously showed me the leopard lacewing caterpillars... So pretty right.

In fact, I have a feeling this first day cover, the caterpillar drawn should be inspired by this leopard lacewing caterpillars too...

On a separate note, I finally managed to bewitch a butterfly to fly on top of my hand..
actually I did nothing, I must thanks the weather though because it was a superbly hot morning and thus I was sweating and the salt contents my hand attracted the butterfly to drop by and fill itself with the nitrates.

More Babies In the Zoo

After my last post on Love is in the air.. in the zoo
I realised there are more and more new arrivals.. starting with 2 ring-tailed baby lemurs

Photographed by Shirley, a fellow docents and another expert photographer whose photos always bring us delight. She took this when it was just a few days old...

And she took this after a few weeks. Unfortunately my camera battery had went flat that day so I could not captured any shots other than video. Actually the video shot is nice hahah.. but blurry still so decided to showcased Shirley's photo instead.

Another arrival is the baby sloth.. yipee again!
See the baby is yawning. I caught the video but yup.. I think Shirley's photo does it a better justice haha

The latest arrival which had the WRS publicising a note here goes to this little Grant Zebra, born 28th April 2010. It has been quite awhile since the last zebra foal was born in 2005 and thus this is quite a celebrated news in the zoo I supposed.

And yupz this time I did managed to catch a shot as this is solely the reason why I had brought my camera out today. (though seriously Shirley's photo is once again better but I can't possible keep stealing her photos for this post).

Lastly, when I took this photo, I felt the blissful love in the air... and conjured out this phrase
"Love is when you can yawn and not mind your partner looking at you.."

A Sea Turtle Adventure

Adapted from Siam Ocean World's 3D Sea Turtle Experience

"I want story! I want story!" The lil' turtle was tugging grandpa's shell and begging for a story.

"Alright alright, I will tell you an old story.. About how grandpa almost couldn't live to such ripe old age.." The elderly turtle finally relented to his grandson's request.

I had came from a very beautiful hometown. Beautiful corals, clear blue water, lovely sandy ground and colourful fishes as dance companion. I used to sing and dance with my friend, The Octopus.

One day, while we were in the midst of our happy time, suddenly the water turned blackish, the fishes started to swimmed away. The Octopus advised me to leave our hometown. But I refused.. initially. The situation got blacker and blacker and The Octopus forced me to pack up and go.

So I left my hometown of many years with a heavy heart. As I took a last look of my hometown polluted by oil, I wondered why would someone bear to make this place dirty.

This journey opened my eyes and brought me to many places. Places where I see human dirtying the sea. Places where I see human cleaning up the waters. Humans.. I really cannot fathom what they are thinking.

Which reminds me of an occassion where I was saved by human... accidentally. I was caught by an egret and carried all the way up to its nest high up the tree. I thought that would be the end of me too. Ironically the humans were deforesting that area and chop that very tree down. I fell back into the sea and quickly swam away.

Another occassion where I seen human's evil intentions was when I had just befriended a whale. As I drifted alongside with her, chit chatting under the sun, suddenly something flew past my shell. An arrow! The human were trying to shoot the whale down. My whale friend immediately dive into the sea instinctively. And I had no choice but to swim as fast as I could; away from the human.

That was my last close encounter with human. After that I found this haven and set up my family which now comprise of you guys. And I pray everyday sincerely that the human will never find this safe haven.

Lil' turtle had a sleepy grin after hearing grandpa's life story. As he tried to made his way back to bed, he had once again fumble. He had just started learning how to walk afterall. Grandpa kindly supported him and recounted that in life, the first step is always the hardest. But without it, goals will never be accomplished and miracles will never happen.