I May Be in Love….

Okay, so I have been married for nearly 32 years….so I know that I have been in love with Rich for a long time. I have three wonderful children and one daughter-in-law who I know I love. I even have a dog who has my undying love for his unconditional love for me. BUT….there is this new little guy at the zoo that makes my heart swell…and his name is Mopani. He was born March 2nd and he is adorable! His mom, Lolly, is one of the most beautiful African elephants I have ever seen. Mopani has a half brother and sister who are 14 months older than him. I thought they looked little. He plays the role of little brother so well that I find myself in fits of laughter at their antics together. He wants to be with the big kids and he isn’t always welcome yet by his half siblings. Mopani does have another half sibling due at the end of summer…so he won’t be the baby for long. There is yet another elephant calf due in the spring of 2024. I may need to plan a trip back to see 5 baby elephants together. Elephants are a matriarchal society, and the moms and babies often hang out together, along with the herd matriarch and her daughter, who are both the pregnant ones. Callee, the bull elephant that has fathered all of these baby elephants, was recently transferred to the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, KS, where I have visited this year. Love that zoo! They hope that he will continue to grow their herd as he did here in Omaha. The zoologists mentioned that this is how it works in the wild…bachelor bull elephants have a herd of their own and tend to move on to another herd of female elephants after a time. Hopefully this sweet boy will be able to do his magic in Kansas as well. Anyhow, I took some photos of my newest love, Mopani, along with Sonny, his brother, and Eugenia, his sister. I got a few photos of the cheetahs and then a lioness who was hysterical snoozing in the sun on her back. Then a few close ups of the takin (the yak looking animal). There are even a few shots of a rabbit in my neighbor’s yard. He isn’t big on mowing and enjoys dandelions….and so does the little rabbit who stopped in the munch on them. Anyhow, if you aren’t infatuated with baby elephants, this may not be your post. You have been forewarned. :o)