We had a nice long Memorial Day weekend, highlighted by a trip to the zoo. If you follow this blog, then you know we’re big fans of the North Carolina Zoo and go there several times a year. This past Saturday, however, was a little different. We had signed up for Starlight Safari, a special event for members of the N.C. Zoo Society where we get to see the lion keepers give treats to the big cats after dark.

We arrived at the zoo around mid-afternoon so as to take in some regular sightseeing before the night event. We were eager to see the latest addition to the zoo — two species of lemurs, ring-tailed and red-ruffed. The ring-tailed lemurs did not disappoint, as they were just lounging inside a log most of the time (but the log was half open, so we got to see them clearly). The red-ruffed lemurs, however, were more elusive, hiding behind a rock formation for most of the time. We couldn’t see them at all when we first got to the exhibit. Later, with closing time drawing near, we swung by Lemur Island again. This time, the red-ruffed lemurs obliged us as they leaped out from their hiding place and climbed up a tall tree.

Aside from the lemurs, we also took in other parts of the zoo’s African exhibits. We discovered a nice little gazebo at one end of the trail that goes by the elephant exhibit. Because it sat at the opposite end of the elephants, there wasn’t much traffic there. We found three species of antelopes grazing and resting in the shade. They probably haven’t seen a whole lot of visitors up close, as they seemed a tad startled when we first walked up to the gazebo. However, they soon determined that we’re no threat and went back to their business.

We had about three hours to kill between when the zoo closed and when the Starlight Safari started. We went out for a quick bite, and then whiled away the rest of the time at a local mall, where we found a pet store with two tiny, adorable black kittens who were fast asleep. If we hadn’t already reached the maximum number of  cats our house can hold (three, all black, by the way), we would’ve probably taken them home.

Upon returning to the zoo around 8:30 p.m., the sky had dimmed, and the zoo staff had put out luminaries on the trail leading to the lions exhibit. The festivities started with the lion keepers tossing a few papier-mâché balls into the exhibit, which the lions quickly pounced on and ripped open to get at the treats inside. Next, a few cardboard boxes went into the exhibit. The male lion showed some interest in them, but the female really did a number on the boxes, shredding them in a matter of minutes.

By this time, the sky had gotten so dark that it was getting difficult to see the lions without the keepers shining a flashlight on them. I had my camera with me and snapped almost a hundred shots during the event, but with almost no light and with flash photography prohibited, most of them did not come out. Of course, we were standing next to the zoo’s officially sanctioned photographer for the event, and he was setting off his flash every 30 seconds or so throughout the one-hour event, so obviously the flash can’t really bother the lions too much. Nearing the end of the event, with the zoo photographer flashing away, I said the heck with it and turned on my flash for my final four or five shots, coming out with slightly better results. The event wasn’t exactly lions and Christians in the coliseum, but still interesting nonetheless (it was amazing how much the lions acted like our cats), and the money for the tickets went to a project to rescue chimpanzees.

A short video of the lions:

More pictures: