Zoos

ZOOS

I'm not an animal activist by any means. Yet, while I might eat animals, I do not believe in abusing them. Some animal rights activists have a head on their shoulders, while others are over the top. Some of them want to ban zoos. This, to me, is over the top.

I was watching some shows on TV the other day when it struck me how often I will tune into a program like National Geographic. Watching this show takes me to Africa, a place I've always wanted to visit, without having to put up with long plane rides, the heat and the bugs. I learn about lions and tigers and bears, oh my! I've learned about hippos, rhinos and elephants. I've learned about the Cape buffalo, the gnu and the cheetah. Safely ensconced in the wilds of my living room.

The program takes me to Antarctica to learn about penguins, to Asia to learn about pandas and the Bengal tiger, to South America to learn about boa constrictors and tapirs. And it doesn't cost me a dime. And without this and the other shows like it, how would I ever get the chance to see these creatures? By going to the zoo.

Not all zoos are created equal. It takes big money to set one up and maintain it properly. Long gone are the days of displaying animals in a 10' x 10' cage with nothing to walk on but concrete or asphalt. Today's zoos go out of their way to provide a natural habitat for the animals they do have. Indeed, some of the critters get so acclimatized to their new homes that it might be hours before you actually see any of them. In one small zoo I went to recently, they had bats on display. As you know, bats are nocturnal and so were kept under infra-red light so that they would behave just as they do at night. It's a thriller for kids of all ages who have never seen a bat, and the furry little buggers didn't seem any worse for the wear.

Giant aquariums are being built to house a multitude of fish and polar bears are kept in air-conditioned settings that mimic the climate they come from. Bears roam through faux woods and lions lounge in the simulated savannah. It is a marvel to see.