Living At The Zoo....

If I could talk to the animals, just imagine it
Chattin' with a Chimp in Chimpanzee
Imagine talking to a tiger, chatting with a cheetah
What a neat achievement it would be. 
That's an old Bobby Darin song, but I thought about it this weekend.

I visited our local zoo and, as always, was amazed by the animals. Zoos are such a valuable resource to have in your community. They do much more than provide thrills to kids. They educate, and even provide adults with a sense of wonder. You can watch Animal Planet and the National Geographic Channel until you're blue in the face, but until you stand next to an elephant, or look a tiger in the eye, you can't really appreciate these magnificent creatures.

Richard Parker, is that you?

I'm not a zoo expert, but I think my zoo does a pretty good job of giving the animals a place where they can be somewhat comfortable. The zoo recently built the Tiger Passage where visitors can get very close to a tiger in "the wild". I'm also sure their health is monitored regularly. They have rocks to climb on. But I still had to wonder.

It really struck me when I was looking at the tiger. This was a beautiful and amazing animal.The first thing I noticed was it was huge. It looked very powerful. It was quietly moving around it's enclosure. Always checking things out. But still I was thinking, how much would this guy love it to just get out and run. Not just for 10 yards.But as far as he wanted. How much would this guy love to hunt for his food. Not just be fed. I'm sure he's fed regularly. Does he even remember what it was like to feel hunger? I bet he dreams are about being free.

The elephant had more room. He had a log to play with. Elephants are very intelligent. They have a high level of communication among them. They have even been known to morn their dead. Again, I;m no expert, but I believe many animals can communicate with each other. Just because we don't understand them doesn't mean they don't. Ocean mammals like whales and dolphins apparently have very complex speech patterns. It has been observed that trained dolphins, when released into the wild, have taught some of their tricks to wild dolphins.

A log is as good as a frisbee
to an elephant.

Sea World no longer includes killer whales as part of it's show. The last killer whale was recently born in captivity. However, these animals will not be released into the wild. It's thought they just wouldn't survive long. Imagine being a killer whale, being born, live and die, thinking the universe was a 30 foot pool.

All of this reminds me of one of my favorite books when I was younger. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. In the book, the main character, Billy Pilgrim, is a time shifter. He travels from his days in World War II to events in the future. At one point, Billy is kidnapped by aliens, the Tralfamadorians, and put on display in a zoo. They also kidnap a beautiful porn star for him in hopes that they will mate. They have everything they need, but freedom. They are there only there for observation by their hosts.

I still think zoos are valuable. I just wonder what's best for the animals. But tigers are going extinct in the wild. There are only about 3,000 wild tigers in the world. Land is just too valuable these days. Both elephants and gorillas are poached in the wild. Some argue the animals are safer in a zoo. (Harambe would beg to differ.) 

Maybe animals should be given a term or "sentence" to serve in a zoo, then be released back to the wild after their term is up. Their only "crime" being that they're unusual, or can't be found in suburbia. I'm sure there are reasons why this can't be done. Yet, the next time you visit a zoo, look 'em in the eye.

What are they saying to you?

Billy Pilgrim & mate: on display.