Category Archives: animals

Honoring Secretariat

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Kentucky Derby Museum celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Secretariat’s Triple Crown sweep and recognizes all aspects of the Secretariat’s greatness with a brand new, immersive exhibit.

The display of Fastest Finishes shows the speed of Secretariat and how far he was ahead of the other winners.

In 1999, Secretariat became the first Thoroughbred to be selected to have his own commemorative United States Postal stamp. It honors Secretariat, his iconic 1972 Triple Crown victory, and his record-setting pace during the Kentucky Derby.

Fastest Finishers at Churchill Downs

Secretariat Stamp

“Albino” Horse

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We saw a distinctive horse at the barn at Churchill Downs. “Albino” horses are a color type of horse born white and have pink skin, but they are not true biological albinos. They have slim heads, muscular necks, compact bodies, sloping shoulders, muscular croup, and long tails. Their eyes are blue, dark, or light brown rather than pink. Their hooves are often weak, but they have flat, smooth gait.

Albino Horse

Blue Eye of a Horse

Playing with a Toy

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Although it seems like the horse is rapidly eating straw, the “Hay Ball” provides mental enrichment and stimulation for the horse at the barn at Churchill Downs. It functions as a slow feeder, which makes it perfect to prevent boredom in the stables.

Playing with a Toy

Giant Anteater at the Ark

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Here is an image of a Giant Anteater at Ark Encounter. Giant anteaters are the only terrestrial anteater species. They can run up to 30 miles per hour, but they are still excellent climbers and swimmers. Giant anteaters can flick their two-foot-long spiny tongues 150 times per minute to eat over 30,000 insects at 200 nests daily.

Giant Anteater the Ark

Binturong at the Ark

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Binturong at Ark Encounter, known as bearcat, is an arboreal animal that is neither bear nor cat—it is a civet. Binturongs are excellent climbers, primarily arboreal, and prefer to live high in the forest canopies. They can rotate their ankles to allow them to climb down trees headfirst. They are also excellent swimmers!

Binturong at the Ark

Grant’s Zebra at the Ark

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Grant’s zebras, one at Ark Encounter, are the smallest of the six subspecies of plains zebras and the smallest zebra species overall. Are zebras black with white stripes or white with black stripes? It depends on how you look at it! While most zebras appear to have a white base coat with black striping, their skin is solid black.

Grant’s Zebra at the Ark

African Crowned Crane at the Ark

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Named for the striking golden plumage on their heads, these beautiful cranes at Ark Encounter are the national bird of Uganda. African crowned cranes have an impressive six-foot wingspan and are one of only two crane species capable of perching in trees since they possess long hind toes.

African Crowned Crane at the Ark

Lion Photo to Pencil Art

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One of my fellow members of the Catawba Valley Camera Club, Hickory – Judy Young is also a pencil sketch artist. She used my lion photo from Gir National Park, Gujarat, India to create a pencil art piece. Wonderful rendition by Judy!

Lion Photo to Pencil Art