Capital News Service video by Bo Evans and Amanda Engel
CLEVELAND — For a delegate, the third day of a convention can feel kind of like you’ve hit the wall.
The initial shine has worn off, the days are long and you’ve heard versions of the same speech a dozen times. You need to shake things up. 
So what did the Maryland Republicans do Wednesday to change it up? Well, several of them piled into a bus and went to straight to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
Obviously, seeing the zoo’s five elephants was a top priority for many of the loyal Republicans, but there were other stops as well. Tigers, lions and even a pair of fighting grizzly bears were hits on the three-hour zoo tour.
“We all love elephants, that’s why we’re here,” said National Committeeman Louis Pope of Fulton, Maryland. “The grand old elephants, and they put them right up front, I think they must have moved them up because they knew the Republicans were coming.”
The zoo also included an indoor rain forest and feeding station where people could feed giraffes leaves of lettuce.
The trip was a welcome stop for delegates with families, as the convention can be a bit overwhelming for the “younger delegates” accompanying parents.
For John Taylor, a GOP delegate from Georgetown, the zoo was a great way to spend more time with his son, Oliver.
“It’s been nice to have some time to wander around and be out of the structure of the convention for a little while,” Taylor said.
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