Pumpkin Fun at the Central Park Zoo October 25, 2020
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: animals, banded mongoose, Central Park Zoo, nature, NYC, photography, Pumpkin enrichment, snow leopard, Snow Monkey, Zoos
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One of the best things about this time of year are pumpkins. I normally run a public before hours photo session at the Central Park Zoo featuring pumpkin enrichment for our animals. Like most everything else the session was cancelled this year due to COVID19. I decided to go ahead with the enrichment and thanks to CPZ’s amazing staff we pulled it off. We dismissed with carving and just gave the animals whole pumpkins. It was fun, colorful and enriching for them, the staff and me. If you are a pumpkin nut like me – here’s a trip down memory lane from some of the other pumpkinpalooza events. 2019’s Hello Gourd-geous – 2018’s Pumpkinfest – 2017’s Pumpkin’s a Plenty – 2016’s Pumpkinpalooza. There’s more – but you get the idea. Here’s hoping that next year we are back to ‘normal’ times and we can have a pumpkin photo session again. Please stay safe, wear a mask and social distance. Enjoy the pumpkins. 
Brooklyn Bound October 18, 2020
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: baby animals, Brooklyn, nature, NYC, photography, Prospect Park Zoo, Red Panda, River Otter, wildlife, Zoos
11 comments
After eight long months of being on the island of Manhattan I took the Q train and ventured to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Zoo this week. As most of you know, the Prospect Park Zoo was the zoo of my youth and I have a special place for it in my heart. It was a fun, productive visit and it was great to see the friendly faces of the staff and of course to revisit their wonderful collection of animals. Enjoy this week’s salute to Brooklyn and please wear a mask, socially distance, wash your hands and be safe.
Jumping Jacks September 27, 2020
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: animals, baby animals, nature, NYC, photography, Snow Leopard cubs, wildlife, zoo babies, Zoos
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Today is day 200 for me being home during the COVID19 pandemic. It has been a challenging 6.5 months but the good news is I am returning to my photography job at the Central Park Zoo on Tuesday. Hopefully next Sunday’s montage will be fresh images of the fabulous animal collection at CPZ. Today’s montage is the final installment of salutes to children’s games. The jumping jack is a toy whose origins date back thousands of years. The jointed jumping jack figure is a cross between a puppet and paper doll. The figures are generally made from wood and their limbs are jointed and tied to a pull string. When the string is pulled and released, the arms and legs move up and down. Stay healthy and wear a mask please.
Happy Seven Years with Audrey and Roberta August 30, 2020
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: animals, Audrey and Roberta, baby animals, Jack the dog, Madison the cat, Mr. Pepe, NYC, photography
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Even though this is day 170 for me being home during COVID19 birthday celebrations must and should go on. Today is seven years since Audrey and Roberta came to live at Casa Lobo. They experienced different house mates over the years starting with Madison the Grumpy Cat and Benny the dog. Then came Jack the one-eyed dog, then Pete the cat and now of course, Mr Pepe the dog. They have gotten along with all and have brought great joy into my house. Here’s to many more years of fun with these two cats. They have their own facebook page with over 900 fans. Want to see daily photos of the gang? Click here and sign up. 
Otterly Adorable June 28, 2020
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: baby animals, nature, NYC, otters, photography, River Otter, small-clawed otters, wildlife, zoo babies, Zoos
10 comments
This is day 109 for me being home during the COVID19 pandemic. Still hoping that you are all staying safe and wearing your masks. My goal each week during the pandemic is to give you a few smiles. Nothing makes me smile more than otters. They are active, fun and most of all – adorable. This week’s selection of photos come from my previous visits to the Prospect Park Zoo, Bronx Zoo, Potawatomi Zoo, Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Capron Park Zoo and the Woodland Park zoo. The animals featured are river otters and small-clawed otters. Hope they give you a little cheer. Stay healthy please.
Oh those April Showers May 3, 2020
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: april showers, Madison Square Park, may flowers, nature, NYC, photography
13 comments
It seemed to rain more than usual this April in NYC. The good news is that those April showers sure brought those beautiful May flowers. During my 52 days of lockdown (so far) I walk in Madison Square Park a lot both with my dog, Mr. Pepe and by myself. Round and round and round I go noticing all of the trees blooming, the flowers growing and the grass getting greener. I managed to even read all of the memorial plaques on the benches which made me both sad and nostalgic.I hope you are all staying healthy and managing to get out to smell the flowers (thru those masks if you can). 
Zzzzzz’s April 19, 2020
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: animals, Central Park Zoo, nature, NYC, photography, wildlife, yawning animals, Zoos
14 comments
Do you find yourself catching some extra Zzzz’s these days. Are you bored? Are you yawning? This is day 38 for me staying at home as a non-essential person. Hats off and loud cheers to all of the essential folk out there. I appreciate your heroic and difficult efforts during this COVID19 pandemic. So what have I been doing? I have brought out my art supplies and hit the drawing board which feels pretty good. I am a bit rusty but other than my three cats and a dog, who is going to judge me? I keep in touch with the heroic zookeepers and education staff at the Central Park Zoo who are keeping everything going. I check in on my sick friends daily. I text a lot, enjoy some face-timing with family and friends and get and send many silly memes which always make me laugh. I try to reach out via telephone to two people a day and have longer chats than usual. Of course there are always dog walks. I read the newspaper – even the articles I am not very interested in. Am I bored? Not really. But I thought these yawning photos of animals might make you smile – and we all can use that. Stay safe out there.
Three Months with Mr. Pepe April 5, 2020
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: animals, Audrey and Roberta, Mr. Pepe, NYC, Pete the Cat, photography
18 comments
It is definitely going to be challenge to come up with different topics for my Sunday photo blog while social distancing and quarantining during this COVID19 crazy time.Luckily I have my own little zoo here at home. Today’s montage features my cats Audrey, Roberta and Pete as they adjust to having nine pound Mr. Pepe around the house. Mr. Pepe has been with us for the past three months and all is hunky dory. The cats have learned to scramble when the tennis ball I throw to Mr Pepe comes their way. There is an understanding at meal times who gets fed first. There’s lots of sniffing and staring but by and large everybody is cool with this new living arrangement. Hope you are all safe and healthy. 
Hope Springs Eternal March 22, 2020
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: baby animals, Central Park Zoo, COVID19, NYC, photography, Sea Ducks, sea lion, Snow Leopard cubs, zoo babies
15 comments
Happy unusual spring to all of you. Hope springs eternal was coined by Alexander Pope in An Essay on Man in 1732 and quickly became proverbial. If you are like me, you are hunkering down, socially distancing, washing your hands and making a list of things you definitely, positively will do during this pause in all of our lives while we combat COVID19. Since I am committed to making a photo montage each Sunday (I have considered it a creative challenge for the past 17 years) I was stumped as to what to post this morning. How many photos of my three cats and my dog do you really want to see?I decided that we all need to smile and nothing makes me smile more than baby animals. All of these adorable baby photos were taken at my home base, the Central Park Zoo over the years. Once again – a tremendous salute to all of the people who are at the zoo taking care of our beautiful collection of animals and taking care of the facility and keeping it secure. I look forward to coming back soon.
When Irish Eyes Aren’t Smiling March 17, 2020
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: Irish, NYC, photography, St. Patrick's Day
7 comments
We are living through strange times because of COVID19. It is the first time NYC’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, which draws about 150,000 marchers and two million spectators, will not go on as planned in more than 250 years. It is, like most things, postponed until a later date. I salute the many zookeepers and zoo employees around the US for taking care of our amazing animal collections and facilities while this virus circulates. Stay safe and wash your hands. The photo above the title is my dog, Mr. Pepe, who is doing his best to celebrate at home.
