 A TWO-TOED sloth from South America that likes broccoli; a reticulated python called Psycho Syd, curled fast asleep alongside his partner Rajah; and ibises that are fed additives to make them bright orange.
Sound like Dr Doolittle's zoo? No, it's the rather delightful Bird Gardens at Montecasino, 20 kilometres north of the city centre, in Fourways.
As you walk into the Bird Gardens, stocked with over 200 species of birds and approximately 1 500 small animals, you enter a dinosaur world of some 300 beautiful cycads, with a groundcover of indigenous vygies at their base.
Most of the animals and birds are exotic, as are those orange ibises. They're actually called Scarlet Ibises, because that's what they are in the wild, the colour caused by eating shrimps in their native South American lagoons and swamps. The additive put in their food here in South Africa gets them as close as possible to their natural colour … but not quite.
Why do the gardens mainly have non-South African breeds? There are restrictions on keeping indigenous breeds in captivity, for fear that taking animals out of their natural environment will upset the balance of that environment.
The centrepiece of the gardens is the aviary, containing 80-100 species of birds, including rollers, barbets, South African parrots, ducks, hornbills and starlings, plus red and blue duiker pairs. Visitors can walk around inside this paradise, raised on elevated wooden walkways, and watch the birds from close by as they fly from perching trunks down to the water and back.
The balance in the aviary is carefully maintained, says Shaun Wilkinson, curator of birds at the Gardens. All the birds were put into the completed aviary at the same time, and now, a year later, all have established their territories. If a new pair of birds from the one of the current species were introduced, they would immediately be killed by their matching pair. Birds of a new species can be added to the aviary, though.
Two new arrivals to the Gardens are a pair of Saddlebill Storks, living outside the aviary but within an enclosed area containing a dam. They are Africa's biggest storks and make a handsome pair in their black and white plumage, with long red beaks and long legs. It is hoped that they will breed within the next 18 months.
In some of the glassed animal cages, experiments are being conducted in combining species in the same area: a pair of Green Iguanas live together with Hope, the two-toed sloth, which spends 99% of its time upside down. Hope also likes cauliflower in addition to broccoli.
Another combination is a pair of Grey-winged Trumpeters together with two gorgeous Toco Toucans with their large, serrated orange beaks.
Don't miss the daily bird show, which features Alf the Eurasian Eagle Owl, Oliver the White Pelican, Wobbles the Wattled Crane - critically endangered, with 235 birds left in the country - and Maholoholo the Cape Vulture or Griffin, also an endangered species.
The Eurasian Eagle Owl is the largest owl in the world, weighing in at 2.5kg, with a thick coat of down feathers, even on its feet. It is a striking bird as it flies around the amphitheatre during the show, large wings flapping, and staring yellow eyes.
Be sure to keep your head down, as the birds fly low over the crowd, from perch to perch, responding to calls or rewards from their keepers.
When you've had enough of birds and other creatures, take a stroll over to the casino, designed to emulate an Italian town with cobbled streets, fountains and piazzas, and artificial sky. It has 1 700 slot machines and 70 gaming tables. There is a range of speciality retail shops allowing for late-night shopping, and restaurants ranging from Japanese to Cuban cuisine. There's also a theatre and 15 cinemas.
Casinos are required to invest in their communities. The Gold Reef City Casino, for instance, has built the neighbouring Apartheid Museum as its social responsibility commitment. Montecasino has spread its investment, donating to a clinic, a hospice, a children's fund, as well as giving "sweat equity" in the form of staff spending time at these places.
The Bird Gardens are open six days a week, Tuesdays to Sundays, from 8am-6pm in summer, and 8am-5pm in winter. The bird shows are on at 11am and 3pm weekdays, and 11am, 1pm and 3pm weekends. The complex is on William Nicol Drive in Fourways.
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