Dave Spencer Communes with Nature at the Nashville Zoo [VIDEO]

I love zoos. I'd like to go to as many as possible. In fact, I once thought about making one of my vacations a zoo vacation. But that could have it's drawbacks.

Most zoos are going to have the same basic creatures, give or take. But, having said that, I have only seen gorillas at the Cleveland Zoo. And I LOVE gorillas. Fascinating.

Anyway, here are some highlights from my trip to the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, beginning with two representatives of one of the coolest animals on Earth:

Now, before you start thinking I was THAT close to a komodo dragon, understand that I just managed to avoid the glare of the thick glass when I got the picture. Zoos aren't too keen on letting komodos just wander about:

Naturally, at zoos, you encounter animals you've never heard of before. Australia's flightless cassowary falls into that category. You know...the...Cassowary Category. Couldn't resist:

We were able to walk amongst these guys. Yep. And we'd been warned they might hit or kick us. Alas, they weren't having any of it. It had either been a long night or a big meal, but these kangaroos were down for the count:

You're forgiven if you think you're looking at a really ugly paperweight. Instead, what we have here is a monkey frog. They hang out in Central and South America and, yes, if this guy was sitting motionless on your coffee table--what with that ceramic-like skin and all--guests might really wonder, "Good Lord, who bought them THAT?!?"

And, finally, a little video I put together of three species that were a little more active than the rest that day. I give you...elephants, lemurs, and gibbons...Oh my!