Have you ever fed jelly to a Black bear?

Last week, we visited the Buttonwood Zoo in New Bedford, MA.   This is a beautiful small zoo and we had an exciting day there doing a special "Behind the Scenes" guided tour.  On a gorgeous late summer day we headed off island for a great day of learning.  We met one of our School Committee members, Jay Hess, at the main gate and he toured the zoo with us. Our first surprise was meeting another Toby!

Carter is feeling very excited about going to the zoo.  Cuttyhunk Island is in the background.

Gwen is having a good time on the boat ride to New Bedford, MA.

When we first got to the zoo we saw a bison - he was HUGE!

This is Toby, the bear, and he is having a treat right now. 

Toby can sit down like a dog and it's very cool.

Toby has another treat while we watch him. He weighs almost 500 pounds!

Carter is scratching the bear and the trainer who feeds Toby is also giving him treats at the same time. 

Toby is licking off some jelly off a spoon (yum!)

Carter is hand feeding Toby some jelly.

Now, Gwen is hand feeding Toby some jelly. 

Carter is putting some peppermint water drops around the bear habitat so it gets the bears' noses going. 

Carter is putting some in a bush to try and trick the bears.

Gwen is throwing some treats around the bears' habitat. 

Toby the bear is looking for some treats that Gwen just hid.   We are watching them from behind a glass wall now.

Its time to say goodbye to the bears and to go and see the elephants. 

This is Emily the Asian elephant and she is eating some carrots, apples and bananas. 

On the right is Ruth the elephant, she likes carrots too.  They are 49 and 55 years old!

Gwen feeding carrots to Emily the elephant.

Carter feeding Ruth the Asian elephant.

At the Harbor seals we tossed rings into them in the water and they brought them back to their trainer for a small fish.

After we left the zoo we got some excellent ice cream at Coldstones and then we went home!

 Until next time,
The Cuttyhunk Kids