Waco's Cameron Park Zoo is much better than zoos in some larger cities, such as Indianapolis. Everything about this zoo was better, with the exception that unlike Indy they didn't have a polar bear. They had a couple of exotic turtles, a poisonous newt, several interesting snakes, a school of piranhas, and the interesting animals pictured below.
First up is a Capybara, the world's largest rodent, which can weigh up to 150 pounds.
Next up is a Patagonian Cavy. When it was standing up I found this to be a quite attractive animal. Could it be the model for the mythical jackalope. Unfortunately, it had sat down by the time I got my camera out and it refused to oblige me with a better shot.
The following two pictures are of their Sumatran Tiger. Those bars in the foreground just look like chicken wire, they were actually a bit sturdier.
[visit date: 11/11/03]
Location
United States
31° 33' 0" N, 97° 9' 0" W