There’s something inexplicably awesome about Zoos. First of all, their name. Zoo. Zoooooooo.

But seriously, why are animals so cool? I’ve seen way too many tigers in cages, but every time I see another one, I still get a little too excited. So I tagged along to the zoo today with the Outdoor Club at school. Now, the Birmingham Zoo is especially awesome because of two words. Camel. Rides.

Sure, it was ridiculously overpriced [$5.50 for a ride around the pen. A ride. One lap.] but now I can say I’ve ridden a one-humped camel named Big Joe. [You'd think if you had to name a camel you'd go for something like Jafar or Istanbul, not Big Joe, but who am I to question the naming abilities of professional camel ride supervisors?]

So the Lorikeet Aviary tied for other Best Thing Ever At the Zoo. For a mere buck fifty, you can have up to six [!] Australian lorikeets land all over your arms, shoulders, back, and head. Thankfully, they were controlling their bladders for us, but that didn’t make it any less nerve-wracking when a bird was on your head.