Stitch Goes to the Zoo: 5 Days in Rome - Part 3

by Tasha in Europe, Italy

This is Stitch.

Everybody, Stitch. Stitch, everybody.

Stitch is Alex's answer to me constantly asking for a puppy.

Stitch isn't a puppy. He may have been a collie before he got run over. But he was an orphan and we adopted him, and now he's part of our family.

We took our new little ohana to the most family-friendly place in Rome we could think of... the Zoo. Or in Italy - il Bioparco di Roma.

We first decided to visit the zoo when we saw posters all over Rome advertising the Giraffe Canivale. With the promise of technicolour awesomeness and zootastic fun, we skipped out on the 4 hour queue for the Vatican and headed off into the park.

The park boasts an epic Reptile House, Alien Fish, and a Giant Aviary.

The Reptile House lived up to the hype, boasting around ten species of turtles/tortoises/ugwais. So naturally, Alex wanted to move in to the Reptile House and play with turtles all day. Turns out the Zoo is famous for breeding a specific type of tortoise (Kleinmann's Tortoise) which is almost extinct in the wild.

This is cool on its own - but they were only able to breed the tortoises since they were discovered in a tourist's suitcase and confiscated in 2005.

After some gentle coaxing and bribery on my part, we headed off to the bigger, fluffier and more warm blooded animals, inadvertently running straight into the Don of the Zoo Mafia, who I nicknamed Don Sonofabitch.

Behind every great plummage, there is evil!

You see the peacocks run the Zoo like the Corleones ran New York. There is a peacock on every path, watching, and waiting. They herd you through the park, and while terrifying, they somehow still remain coolly beautiful.

We missed a few exhibits due to the little thugs, and though I am a tree hugging, animal afficionado, I came really really close to throwing my map at them...before swiftly running away. (I may have been feeling confrontational - but not stupid!)

Stupid enough to get nice and close to a crocodile...but still!

Winding through the park we searched high and low for the aforementioned and greatly anticipated Alien Fish. And I really mean high or low since where it should have been on the map was on top of a hell of a hill. But alas - no alien fish to be found. I think Stitch was the most disappointed.

Look at his little sad face... it breaks your heart!

But we all cheered up once we found the meerkats. You can not stay sad around meerkats - it is literally impossible. They secrete cuteness pheromones that attract you to them, much like a Pokemon. They are so damn lovable and cute that it could potentially be harmful to your health.

Warning: Excessive staring at these pictures of meerkats could.....aww look at how fluffy he is...

...and look at them with their little feet and little noses and...

THEY ARE JUST SO TINY AND FLUFFY!

Awww, now I want a meerkat. They are so cute! Do you think I could have a meerkat? I could feed it and take it for walks? I'll just ask Alex if I can have a meerkat...

Okay so apparently we can't have a meerkat because buying and owning a meerkat is illegal as balls. Like really really hella illegal. So that's sad.

But meerkat is still a fun word to say.

Meerkat. Meerkat. Meerkat. Meeeeeeeerkaaaaaaaat.

Okay Alex is taking the computer away from me....please hold while I bfkjshdfgjsdfg........

This is Alex: I apologize for the interruption. Please enjoy these adorable monkeys grooming each other while you wait

Okay, I am temporarily allowed back on the internet as long as I don't use the M word again.

And lay off the caffeine. But it's not my fault. Really!

Italian coffee just tastes so good.

It's the coffee's fault really. It is crying out for me to drink it. 

But....I will sacrifice the truly amazing coffee to be able to share with you the sweetest and most adorable story from our day at the zoo.

It all started as we left the bears and began to walk through the many apes and monkeys. This was potentially dangerous for our cuteness levels as they had pygmy Capuchin monkeys. Picture it for a moment. Capuchin monkeys that are as big as your palm. Fully grown miniature balls of fluff.

As our cuteness levels reached maximum overload we quickly ran away from the adorable munchkins, straight into the waiting arms of the larger, but still rather adorable regular sized Capuchin monkeys. I just so happened to have Stitch with me, so as I held him up to take a photo - magic happened.

The monkeys came to investigate their new blue furry friend. At first there was confusion, then imitation. Then awe and amazement when Stitch disappeared behind my back. Then as I sat him on the ledge next to the glass, friendships were born.

One monkey tried to play with him, another brought him food - and was adorably confused when Stitch didn't eat it. He kept pushing the food towards him, until we felt sad that these tiny furry star-crossed lovers must be parted.

We left the park with giant grins, sore feet and a slight sense of sadness for the little monkey that lost his new friend.

"You'll be in my heart. Always"

 If you'd like to read more of our 5 days in Rome, click here!
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