Wildlights

Over the weekend, I took a trip to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium to see the "Wildlights" with my girlfriend. This was her dream date so I was more than eager to accompany her there despite the bitterly cold weather. I probably would have gone even if it wasn't her dream date, but this made the night that much more special. It also helped that the light show was amazing.



The amount of lights in the Zoo was mind boggling. It must have taken forever to set them all up.



Of course, there were also animals at the zoo. It was too cold for some of the animals such as the penguins and arctic foxes, but the indoor captivity animals were pretty lively. Kidding aside, I think it had more to do with the fact that it was night. The penguins were hiding and the arctic foxes were curled up fuzz balls that resembled white rocks. We walked a long way for the polar bear exhibit but they were also in hiding. I did get to see a wolf running around in it's exhibit but the exhibit was too dark for pictures. Most of the outdoor exhibits were dark, which makes sense because it's likely for the animal's perception of night and day.

After taking a look at the outside exhibits, we decided to check out the reptile exhibit. These frogs are nearly extinct.



Also, this snake neck turtle was a little too excited by the prospect of being filmed/getting it's picture taken.



Next up on the agenda was browsing the Aquarium. This is a shark.



One of the more awesome features of the Aquarium is the manatee exhibit. The first time I saw these guys at Disney World I thought they were whales. I don't know why I was so set on wanting to see whales, though, because manatees are so awesome.



The main aquarium is also pretty awesome. There is so much diversity in the main tank that I have wondered how the different species get along. The staff must really know their stuff.



This is only my third visit to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The first time I went as a kid. The second time was just little over a year ago. I've found that my early memories of this place really hasn't spoiled the fun for me too much. In fact, I want to go back and I probably will before Wildlights is over. It was kind of weird to go in cold weather since the only other times I've been were when the weather was extremely hot. However, it made for a different and unexpectedly delightful experience. I love animals and I love holiday lights. I'm glad that there is something to do there this time of year.