The North Carolina Zoo Has Vampire Bats

A visit to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, North Carolina, is a great experience. The zoo houses over 1,000 animals, and inside a cool little house for nocturnal animals in the Sonoran Desert pavilion that is also home to the cacomistle and coati, there is a display of vampire bats, Since these critters are more active at night, their display is kept fairly dark, but you can see them flying back and forth within the enclosure once your eyes have adjusted. They are normally flying to their feeders and back, so once you locate the feeders within the enclosure, you can usually find some activity.

Of course, this activity swells to a crescendo at feeding time, which the zoo does during visiting hours so that visitors can see it. As you could guess from the name, vampire bats drink blood. They usually take their meal from a living animal, such as a cow or pig, using a special anticoagulant in their saliva to keep the blood from clotting once it starts to flow from a bite of their tiny fangs, but of course at the North Carolina Zoo, the bats aren't given live prey. The zoo staff feeds the bats by pouring cows' blood (with an added coagulant) into, of all things, hummingbird feeders for the bats to dine upon. The North Carolina Zoo goes through 18 pounds of cows' blood a week to feed the bats! It doesn't sound like the most fun job in the world to pour smelly cows' blood into several feeders in a dark box with bats flying around your head, but I guess they are used to it!

Here's another post about the North Carolina Zoo, for your enjoyment: http://whatsgoodingreensboro.blogspot.com/2015/02/a-funny-thing-happened-at-zoo-and-i.html

You can also find What's Good in Greensbroro? on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Whats-Good-in-Greensboro-848569635208317/ . See you there!

Vampire bat picture from Wikimedia Commons en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Desmodus.jpg

A Funny Thing Happened at the Zoo, and I Ain't Lyin'

The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro is a popular, nearby destination for Greensboro residents and others in the area. I have a membership to the Zoo and have made frequent trips, myself. I thought I would share a story from a trip I made a few years back...

I was at the zoo once when a squirrel got into the lion enclosure. Unless it's feeding time, the lions are usually just lyin' (get it?) around and aren't the most exciting exhibit, but the presence of that squirrel made the lioness snap to attention! She jumped to her feet and started stalking the squirrel just like a housecat, and everyone in the crowd was transfixed with excitement and anticipation. You could see the tension in her hindquarters as she prepared to spring, and I thought we were all gonna see a "National Geographic moment", if you know what I mean.

Fortunately for the squirrel, there was a protective covering around the tree in the enclosure (probably to keep the big cats from scratching off all the bark), and the little guy got down inside that. As for the lioness, her prey, being out of sight, was soon out of mind, and she went back and flopped down beside her mate. Show's over folks! Move along...nothing to see here...

You can also find What's Good in Greensbroro? on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Whats-Good-in-Greensboro-848569635208317/ . See you there!


Image from Pixabay http://pixabay.com/en/lions-animal-male-female-lions-175934/

The Glenn McNairy Branch, Greensboro Public Library's Newest Addition

A brand new branch of the Greensboro Public Library opened up on Friday, August 1, 2014, on Lake Jeanette Road in Greensboro, North Carolina. I was particularly excited about this, because it is only about a mile from where I live, so I can walk there when the weather is nice. It took a really, really long time for them to start building--I'm pretty sure the bond for it was passed back in 2006--but they broke ground last year, and I have been watching as the library building takes shape.

I was very excited to finally visit the branch once it opened, and I took plenty of pictures to share. This branch has so many unique features,it's hard to know where to start, so I'll just take you on a visual tour. When one enters, it's clear that this is not your standard dark and hushed "book crypt" (I'm looking at you, UNCG library)--the soaring, light-filled room is appointed with brilliantly-hued artwork and comfy couches. Stacks jut out into the room like those in a bookstore, rather than marching in uniform rows.

The children's section is wonderfully designed. It is dominated by a large pirate ship for exploration and play, and the stacks are actually bins, at a kid-friendly height. There is a computer hub with small chairs, and even a snack bar.

 One thing in I was disappointed to find was a very small number of desktop computers available for adults. There are only seven stations around a table for library patrons to use, and if those are full, the alternative is apparently not to use the kids' computers, no matter how empty that area may be. If you are not with a child, you will be asked to move.

Why so few PC stations? The answer is in the kiosk. This library branch is unique in that there is a large kiosk from which library patrons can check out laptops and tablet computers for use, and as you have seen, there are plenty of places to sit. Clearly the plan was for those to be in wide use, making the demand for desktop PCs rather low. However, the mouse rules over the touchpad, and the keyboard trumps the touchscreen; the kiosk gathers dust while the desktop stations are full. Hopefully the disparity will be rectified by adding more computers of the old-school style.

Except for the issue with the computers, this is a lovely and welcoming branch. It took eight years to come to fruition, but it is here in a big, bold way. And if the pirate ship, rental iPads and snack bar aren't enough of a draw, the Glenn McNairy Branch has a real live 3-D printer! Whether browsing the stacks, checking out the snack bar or just sitting on a comfy couch playing Fruit Ninja, you will enjoy your visit to the Glenn McNairy Branch on Lake Jeanette Road.

You can also find What's Good in Greensbroro? on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Whats-Good-in-Greensboro-848569635208317/ . See you there!