Cebu City Zoo’s New ‘Shiny’ Stars

Recently, I visited the Cebu City Zoo in Oppra, Kalunasan just to see how ‘everyone’ is doing. Two of my nephews, who were excited to see pythons in the flesh for the very first time, decided to tag along.

My last visit was in February of 2010 when I met the facility’s then superstar Bogart the Tiger. A few things have changed since that visit. First, the zoo now has fewer monkeys. I only saw at least two chained to some tree branches. Thankfully, that huge filthy cage which used to house at least five diseased monkeys is now gone. I also noticed that the zoo is now a lot more interactive and visitor-friendly. A lot of animals are now allowed to ‘rest’ outside their cages. Of course, this is great news for people who see these things as a perfect photo opportunity. 🙂 Also, Bogart the Tiger is now nowhere in sight. I heard that he’s still in the facility but since his condition is delicate, people are not allowed to come close. As a result, his place as the zoo’s top act is now occupied not by one but by three new stars!





King of the ‘Jungle’: Bogart the Tiger back in 2010

Resting near the main entrance is a bevy of beautiful and very people-friendly birds.

They’re very sociable. My nephews even had a photo op with them. (With the assistance of some zoo guys, of course.) Here is Exequiel with this beautiful raptor.

This one flapped his wings as he tried to balance on Eploy’s left arm.

Gorgeous birds welcoming guests to the zoo.

I noticed that there were more crocodiles this year.

This is probably the city zoo’s most photographed crocodile. He doesn’t move too often. Hehe.

I also saw several younger ones. I’m not sure if some of them were actually hatched here.

This massive bird cage is a great addition to the facility. At least those big birds now have enough space to stretch their wings.

I also noticed a few tree houses in the property. Definitely a hit among first-time visitors.

A huge glass box which contains huge snakes is also one of the zoo’s most popular features.

This fascinating cobra is also one of the zoo’s most photographed animals.

But the zoo’s real new stars are definitely the three shiny, beautiful Burmese pythons.

Unfortunately, we arrived just after their feeding time so they were placed back in their cages. They won’t be taken out for several days. Normally, these two are placed on a huge bamboo bed where visitors can get a ‘snake massage’ for a fee.

Luckily, the third one was in the mood for a little hike around the zoo.

He was allowed to roam around for some much needed sun. Eploy took this chance to establish contact.

Eploy later saw a small kitty and proceeded to befriend it.





 

5 thoughts on “Cebu City Zoo’s New ‘Shiny’ Stars

  1. Wow!!

    That snake is huge!!!

    I have to think? how many people does it take to lift that up??

    Your really good at taking pictures Leylander, i will leave you a donation so you can keep up the great work you are doing

    1. Its pretty huge so usually it takes three people to lift it out of its cage.
      Thanks a lot Sir Gary! Really appreciate it! 🙂

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