Some real animals descended on the Capitol on Tuesday — real-life animals.

It was Denver Zoo Day at the Legislature, so zookeepers and their wards made the rounds, joining the state’s political animals in their natural habitat. Zoo staffers later sent out photos — and the captions write themselves. There are “talking-point parrots,” “porcupine prickly policymakers,” “lizard-person politicians.”

The Denver Zoo has been in operation for more than a century and it remains the “most visited cultural institution in the state,” according to a statement sent out by the zoo after the visit.

Hats off to Sen. Tim Neville, Republican from Littleton: It takes a brave politician of any stripe to pose with a lizard.

— john@coloradostatesman.com