Creatures with rods: nocturnal house at the zoo

I did go to the zoo with my husband and children and I am very glad that I did. We had a lovely day together. Even better that the weather was gloomy and raining! We must be the only family in Britain who don't mind cloudy days and want a North-facing garden.

The NightLife exhibit at the zoo was great for Charlotte. Even though she is only 7 months old and doesn't have a clue what the zoo is all about, it is nice to take her into an environment where we know she will be able to see as well as we can. It contains all the nocturnal creatures who have mainly or exclusively rods in their retinas. Of course, it is very dark inside. We all adjusted to using our rods and checked out the animals. The best bit for Charlotte was the visual stimulation that the small lights in the ceiling offered her. She was looking around all over the place and couldn't get enough of it. But I was struck by how difficult it was to read in that level of lighting. However, she had a great time at lunch in the busy café: sat in a high chair, ate all her food and was really smiley and sweet.

I can't wait to take her to the Night Zoo in Singapore and on safari in South Africa!