Zoo

Monday was overcast and Joe didn't need the car so I decided to try a trip to the Ashgabat Zoo before the really hot weather sets in (I'd heard rumors of 110+ F for this week). Mehri and I packed up the kids only to reach there and discover the zoo is closed on Mondays. Luckily after a wild, stormy, windy night, Tuesday morning was calm and cool (90's F).

I'm sort of skeptical of zoos in general and I'd heard that Ashgabat Zoo was really sad because the animals were so cooped up and emaciated. Well, it turned out not to be so bad. The resident animals are basically domestic breeds - lots of camels. Ruth Anne and Neil especially liked the water fowl and monkeys.

There were several cages of monkeys, all the same kind, and probably inbred... Still they seemed content and active. We saw two little monkeys nursing their mommies and all the monkeys digging into the random pile of lunch.