The Bright Side - Austin Zoo & Animal Sanctuary

I don't usually like the zoo - or Sea World for that matter. It's always made me sad to see animals shut in little spaces or mistreated. I also know, though, that many animals couldn't survive on their own in the wild so there is really nothing to complain about if they're being treated well. I bring this up because the Austin Zoo & Animal Sanctuary is exactly that - an animal sanctuary, and I really enjoyed my visit! 

Granted, it was ridiculously hot outside so most of the animals were sleeping. There was a grey wolf that I waited around for that never woke up. I was a little bummed about that, but what we did see was really nice.

There were lots of birds! I guess many people buy exotic birds and then decide they're too difficult to maintain.

I love this picture! Aren't the colors beautiful?

This one was too busy eating and never looked up.

This red bird was in it's house when I got there, but I think it liked my humming. It came out to say 'hello' right away!

Giant turtles! There were so many of them!

I don't know that a pig would be considered a rescue animal but, I guess, this one did save itself from becoming bacon. He was just so big that I needed to include the picture.

One of my favorite things about the Austin Zoo is that the animals are fairly close. This big lion was only a few feet away. That sounds like it might be scary but, surprisingly, it wasn't. That might be because many of these animals were kept as pets and are used to people. In addition to lions, the zoo has tigers, leopards and jaguars.

This bear had the nicest area out of all the animals. He had his own swimming pool and plenty of shade - perfect for the hot Texas summer!

The Austin Zoo is small. We went around the whole area in an hour and a half. It would have taken longer, but we didn't linger too much - did I mention it was hot?

We loved the zoo and will probably go back soon. I think it's great that they're providing a safe and natural environment for these animals - no concrete! If you're in Austin and have a couple of hours to spare, you should really stop by and visit.