Hello there, friends!
I'm sorry to keep you hanging.
I'm back to continue our zoo exploration with my very curious kids. I apologize. if I wasn't able to finish it yesterday, as I was tired because it was my son's recognition day.
After leaving the Primates and Children's Park, we went to the Butterfly Garden, which I actually meant to refer to when I said that the next destination we visited required a highlight or a different post. If the Play Park is my kids' favorite, certainly the Butterfly Garden is mine. I was enchanted by this attraction so come and read along!
Entering the Butterfly Garden, we pass by a short hallway where there's a gallery full of displays of preserved butterflies on frames. I had no idea that the butterflies in the frames were actually real. I had previously assumed they were made of some sort of plastic. until one staff member approached me and said, "Preserved butterflies po yan, ma'am" (Those are preserved butterflies, ma'am). After hearing it, I instantly raised an eyebrow because I had never heard of that kind of stuff, and I immediately thought that they had captured live butterflies and preserved them! At the back of my mind, I was thinking, Isn't that cruelty?
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I then reminded myself not to be too harsh and to ask if I didn't know something. After asking a few questions, I learned that the average lifespan of a butterfly is 1-4 weeks, depending on their species, and when their days are over, they stay or most fall to the ground because they can no longer fly. That's where they gather and preserve it to keep the body of the butterfly from decomposing. The staff said not all dead butterflies are being preserved since most aged butterflies are either fading in color or their wings are destroyed.
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Then I also knew right there and then that there are people who collect preserved butterflies, and those are called lepidopterists. In my decades of existence, I never knew that kind of hobby existed.😆
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I asked my companions if we could proceed to the enclosure where they kept the live butterflies after I was pleased with viewing the preserved butterfly frames in the gallery since they were preoccupied with studying and reading the post about the life cycle of butterflies in the opposite corner.
We were warned that touching and holding the live butterflies in the garden were not allowed.
One tiny butterfly, which had been presumably resting on the screen door, fell into my sister's hand as soon as we opened the enclosure door. The staff told her to gently transfer it to a leaf without touching the wings because it was already in her hand. I used the opportunity to snap a few pictures before she transferred the tiny butterfly.
We eventually entered the protected area after moving the small fly to a leaf, and wow, were we all in awe at the sight: so many butterflies soaring above and resting in leaves of various hues. My son's faces were filled with fascination as he watched the insects fly in different directions; it was a dreamy and fairytale-like moment where all you can hear from children are words of amusement and excitement.
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This butterfly is an example of one that has grown older; the wings' colors are beginning to deteriorate, and they have some minor damage. It can no longer fly very far and mostly stays on the ground.
While my companions were already leaving the enclosure and waiting to explore the next attraction, I seized the opportunity to enjoy watching the butterflies fly.
They gamely pose next to the crocodile statue in the lobby of the reptile house.
This attraction is the least of what I wanted to visit because I'm actually scared of most reptiles, especially snakes and others, but when I'm with my kids, I can't show my fear of crocodiles, creepers, and crawlers because I don't want to ruin their excitement.
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We just let them go, and I was following them, taking pictures as they explored. My older child was playing the role of a teacher to his younger sibling as he slowly read the labels on the glass panel, identifying the species that were housed in the cage, while his younger sibling was paying close attention.
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Finally, they're done with their "reptile lesson" and decide to move on to the next on our list.
My kids had huge expectations of seeing Lions and Tigers in person, but we were not lucky. Both times we went to check the cage, they were sleeping, and the tiger was in his hiding place.
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The lion and tiger are enjoying their nap under the shade.
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While this shy White Bengal Tiger is hiding in his hideout.
We moved on to the next section after failing to get a better look at the apex predators and those savanna species, but we later returned back to try again. Unfortunately, those animals weren't in the mood to show themselves.
The Bleeding Heart Pigeon is shown prominently on the entry sign, so as we entered, we were expecting to see that. Nearly every branch of a tree is home to several birds, but we failed to spot the specific pigeon that we were looking for.
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Have you seen the photo of my kids at the reptile house, where they amusingly pose while sitting in a reptile statue? My kids were posing once again at this point, thinking the crocodile in the water was simply a statue. However, when we noticed that it was blinking, we knew it wasn't a statue. Because of how well its skin's lightest shade of green blended with the pond water, we almost missed it.
This attraction is the last on our list, and exploring makes us hungry, tired, and thirsty. Yup, you're thirsty because bringing water inside the cages and attractions is strictly prohibited. They only have a designated area where food and drinks are allowed.
The zoo also has an animal museum, but it was under maintenance when we got there.
While we were sitting down under the shade of trees, I noticed the abundance of trees in the zoo, which is also home to different species outside the zoo enclosure.
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We just rested for a few minutes and got ready to walk back to the entrance or exit of the zoo. My toddler was sleepy after a half day of zoo exploration, and yes, he walked on his own almost all the time of our stay in the zoo. That's how interested he was in exploring the place.
We started to make our way back to the zoo's exit while looking for a spot to eat, and even though my son was exhausted and weary, his enjoyment could still be seen. He never stops talking about the creatures we saw earlier until we are on our way home.
On that special day spent with my family, I came to the conclusion that sometimes we chase after so many things in life that we fail to appreciate the small things that can make us happy. That day at the zoo, my children reminded me that even watching a beautiful butterfly unfold its wings can be magical and wonderful in the eyes of innocent children. That genuine happiness can be felt by just appreciating the beauty of nature. I can't wait for more exploration and discovery in life with them.
Thank you for reading this far, and I hope to see you again on my next one.
❤️❤️❤️
All photos were taken by me, unless stated otherwise.
The lead image was edited using Canva.