Eco Museum Tour 2007

My lovely friend, Katrina and I took our kids to the Eco Museum last week. Calli had a visit from a number of the animals and a handler a few weeks ago, at her pre-school. She surprised me with the news that she'd held a snake in her bare hands and talked about the visit for days!!!

Inside the museum was a fantastic display of Light and Dark. They had 2 separate rooms with animals that favour each. We saw fish, frogs, toads, snakes, salamanders, tadpoles, flying squirrels, mice, mink, owls, skunks and opossums! The kids had a heyday in there looking for the animals in their museum quarters. It was a lot of fun!

We were given a map to guide us around the outside of the Eco park and to tell us where all the animals were. The first animal we saw was the beautiful, white, fluffy, serene Snowy Owl. I'm not sure it gets much prettier!! Naturally, all 4 kids were making owl sounds... (Have you seen this one? With the cows? It's one of my favourites and yet, I still moo at a field full of cows!?)



Next, we moved on to the cutest little Arctic Fox. Marin was confused and kept telling me it was a puppy. I asked her what a fox says and she replied "Oh, Maaaannnn!" and snapped her little fingers. For the record, I did NOT teach her that. Dora the Explorer has a large influence on Marin's life!!



We moved on to the duck pond and came across the prettiest duck. I love how ducks always look angry. Like someone just tipped them over the edge... That little glint in their eyes and the squint... Yeah.



Calli, Marin and Sarah overlooking the cariboo pasture and hamming it up for the camera.



Here are the Cariboo hanging out, relaxing. Taking it easy. Not much else to do.



Gus, Calli, Sarah and Marin checking out the black bears. There were 5 bears in there. Being a hunter, I wasn't too fond of the black bear pen. I think my biggest fear is walking through the bush and coming across a large black mass that turns out to be a bear. Not pleasant. And being only 20 feet away with what seemed to be an awfully flimsy chain link fence, I wasn't feeling all that well. So we moved on.



And stared at two wolves. Here is one of them stalking around his "grounds." Once again, not something I'd be happy to see out in the bush. There's a lot more to the story and it includes a terrible re-ocurring dream I have had for years, but I'll spare you the details.



Next we saw a beautiful lynx. There were 2 lynx hanging out in this little pen. The other one was pacing the same trail over and over, which just made me sad. I'm not so fond of animals being in pens as it is and to see a distraught animal, pacing the same path so much that he created a little trail...just not my cup of tea. If I'd packed along my wire cutters and didn't have small children with me...



A Horned Owl, not to be confused with a Horny Owl. Not funny. He doesn't seem amused either.



An extremely large Bald Eagle. I suppose it looked large because I was standing less than 10 feet from it.



Here are Gus, Calli and Sarah holding Bianca the albino snake with Mr. Geoff. I'm glad my eldest daughter is brave enough to put her hands on a snake. I remember holding, or being forced to hold, a snake in Grade 2. I think that experience scarred me for life. I clearly remember not wanting to touch the snake and being coerced into it somehow. Marin was not interested in the snake whatsoever. She was happier looking at the turtle tank and saying "Turtow," over and over.



We brought our own lunch and ate it in the cafeteria alongside 2 birthday parties and a Scout troop. All in all, it was a fun afternoon and even though I hate seeing animals cooped up, I've seen some fantastic environments (Montreal Biodome), where the animals seemed at ease and happy, who weren't pacing and nervous. We will probably visit the Eco Museum again some time. They were adding some new animals this summer, so it will be cool to go back and see what they get.