That's Mrs. AMBASSADOR to you, thank you very much

I’ve been a fan of zoos since my parents started taking the HSB and I to the National Zoo when we were wee little tiger cubs. So when NKC started recruiting some of her friends to join a new group of zoo supporters called the Houston Zoo Ambassadors the HSH and I didn’t have to be pressed very hard to sign up. In exchange for our donation we get all sorts of neat perks, like free admission and the opportunity to go to all sorts of unique events. Yesterday we had a planning event in preparation for the Gala that the ambassadors host in January (shameless plug #1: buy your tickets now before they sell out!) and since we were on site anyway, the lovely zoo staff treated us to one of the ‘behind the scenes’ experiences that makes being an ambassador pretty darn cool. This time up, we got to visit Okapi and Bongos that live at the zoo. I’ve thought Okapis are pretty interesting since I first laid eyes on them. They look like you’d be more likely to find them on the pages of a Dr. Seuss book, than in a zoo. The legs of a zebra, the body of a horse, and the head of a giraffe, it is actually most closely related to the giraffe. I didn’t really get that until I saw its insanely long tongue. Long like, he could fix the part in his hair without the aid of a comb. Or hand. Anyway, being so up close and personal to these animals really makes you appreciate them even more.

For you viewing pleasure:

Mr. Okapi (I think he was smiling at me here)

Getting a snack

Bongos...more than just a goofy drum.

…and here comes shameless plug #2: The HSH and I, along with Tripp’s parents, are co-chairs of the recruitment committee for the Houston zoo ambassadors. So if hanging with the Okapi, feeding jaguars, or petting armadillos is your thing then let us know and we’d be happy to tell you about the wondrous place that is the Houston Zoo and all the great things you can do to help support it!