Zoo Zoom Run
Sunday, February 1, 2003
by Genny Paauwe
Someone told me its all happening at the zoo, croon Simon and Garfunkel. This car club run was set up to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, donating them to the animals at the Folsom Zoo. The day was foggy and damp, but 16 Miatas met in El Dorado Hills where Tom and Denise Klisz lead the herd up to Apple Hill.
The roads and greening scenery were pleasant on the way to Boa Vista
Orchards. Open year-round, Boa Vista has always been one of our
favorite stops for apple fritters and their one-of-a-kind apple cookies.
The vegetables brimmed the bins in beautiful primary colors. Bags and
boxes bulged with apples, oranges, bananas, celery, cabbage and carrots
for the animals.
Trunks were loaded and we were on our way to the zoo. Soon, the run itself became a zoo when our confused leader took a wrong turn on Green Valley Road, taking the majority of the followers with him.
No matter, we caught up to each other at the Folsom Zoo, where our
guide, Crystal, met us. Funny thing was, Bob and I had met Crystal
before in our other hobby, geocaching!
One participant, Skip Noyes, remarked, "We tried to find some goats and small children for the carnivores, but they wouldn't fit in the Miata trunk." What a guy --always a friend to the animals!
We hauled the pile of fresh food into the kitchen for the cook to use, then started our zoo tour, set up by our own Parvin Damania.
Our guide first explained that the Folsom Zoo was a sort of refuge for
animals that were unwanted because of injuries or circumstance. Many
had been hurt or abandoned, then taken in by the zoo.
Crystal told us about the white guard dogs that they release from their zoo cage at night, showed us the destructive monkeys and we got a good whiff of the pungent-smelling foxes. Ravens, hawks and eagles stared at us from their perches while peacocks (including one that was white) and roosters kept us company as we wandered through the exhibits, crowing their hellos.
Further on we saw dog-wolf hybrids, pigs and a wonderful coyote that
seemed to smile, then sang to us in the eerie coyote yodel. Horses
and sheep had the run of a large paddock area that will soon be part
of the zoo's expansion plans.
The mountain lion exhibit was new and two lions lazed on a platform, perched high enough to see everything. One lion paced the fence line and we got a good look at its huge clawed paws and muscular body. Theres good reason to be cautious in them thar woods!
Two very sleepy brown bears raised their heads as the group gathered
near their high-style digs that were designed by an architect. Back
down the path we looked at the exotic birds, rabbits and beautiful
charcoal-colored wolves. Our last furry friend was a white fox who
peered from a man-made den.
We had a very enjoyable day! For once, "Do not feed the animals" didn't apply to us!
