As much as I would prefer to encounter animals of all species roaming in the wild as opposed to being paraded around in captivity, for me this visit to Pairi Daiza was a real treat of seeing and touching some animals that I would otherwise only get to see on TV or in magazines.

In Part Two of our visit to Pairi Daiza, we’ll trade our feathered friends for the four-legged kinds:

Some day I’ll see these kings and queens in their home turf…

And on another adventure I’ll get to ride these elevators once more…

instead of just petting them:

If I had a spirit animal I would like to think it would be something as graceful as a giraffe or a wild mustang, but in reality I think the hyper-freak-out energy of these prairie dogs is more akin to me (sigh)–though I do wish I had their metabolism as well:

But amidst all the eye candy here, the main attraction is really beyond this cave:

I don’t know if this guy in a bamboo-induced food coma is Hao Hao or Xing Hui…

but what I do know is the magic of a giant panda that can make a crowd, ranging in age from 2 to 82, break out in applause and pure, utter joy just from waking up from his slumber:

If only it were this easy to counter our current world problems with some panda magic dust.

Next entry we’ll explore the other face of Pairi Daiza.