Flora and Fauna in February

Next month we go home so we are trying to do a few touristy things on our P-days. First the Botanical Gardens.This lovely setting is just beyond where we walk along the river. It is next to the Universidad National de Loja. See what you think:

 

This means: To love trees is to understand life. I think that might be overstated a bit, but certainly people who appreciate and are grateful for nature are better people in my opinion. 

Some flowers like the ones above are common in Camarillo, CA but others like the one immediately below I have never seen before: 

 

 

 

 

 

The flowers below were so unbelievably bright red. Very impressive in intensity.

 

 I have never seen anything like this flower, or is it a fruit? It was interesting.

 

 

An amazing variety of plants grow in Ecuador and both tropical and temperate plants grow happily together in Loja.

Next time it was the zoo. It doesn't rival California zoos or even Boise, but I like all zoos. Aren't plants and animals amazing?

 

This family had the baby feeding the fawn puffed corn. I'm sure that is not good for the fawn but it was cute to see the babies interacting. I took a photo when I was on the other side of the enclosure. Below is a very regal looking llama. He definitely acted like he lived on the top of the mountain and he was in charge.

Ecuadorian deer are very small and they look so delicate and lovely.

 

 

 There were lots of kinds and types of parrots but this bird caught my attention. Not many things have blue faces and red eyes.

 

 There were two young tapirs:

 

 

 

Below is the Spectacle Bear. They live wild in Podocarpus. This one has a white line around his muzzle but not his eyes. 

Not really an animal I would like to meet face to face on a hike in the National Park. 

A type of wild pig.

I had never looked at the feet of an ostrich before. They only have two toes. This bird looked huge to me and like he could do serious damage to a person if he wanted to.

And a beautiful peacock who wouldn't hurt you but could drive you nuts with their crying at all hours of the day and night. 

We all live in a very beautiful world that Heavenly Father has created just for us. Are we doing what we can to improve its beauty and appreciate our blessings? You can remind me of my desire to contribute to the beauty when I would rather sit in front of my computer instead of going out to weed the garden.