(no subject)

[fajrdrako]

On Saturday I went to the Papanack Zoo. Not something I would normally do on my own, but it was Lyn's birthday and she wanted to go, so we made an expedition of it.

I knew the zoo existed but I had no real idea where it was or what was there - though my firends had all seen pictures of their cute White Lion cubs. Well - the cubs grew up. They are majestic huge beasts now, with power in their every movement.

When they feed the animals, they give you a mini-lecture about them, and answer questions. After the feeding of the tigers I wondered aloud to Lyn, "What do they do with them in the winter?" The guide overheard me and explained that they don't need special shelters, their den is insulated and their fur is food enough for our winters.

My second-favourite creature was the Arctic Fox. They looked like white dogs at first glance, but their eyes were amazing: deep red with no whites showing, rimmed in black like kohl. My first thought was of X-Men's Gambit, and his glowing red eyes. My second thought was of Egyptian paintings, with the Horus-like black line going downward at the inside point of the eye. The woman beside me said, "Are they blind? What's wrong with their eyes?" Nothing but unusual beauty.

The wolverine did not emerge from wherever he was hiding. The lynx showed off for us, walking around with the pride and grace of a model on a runway, finally flopping onto his back, legs in the air, to wash his face. The Lion-Tailed Macaques (named Moe, Curly and Shemp) gave us a demonstration of acrobatics. In the peafowl cage were three peacocks, three peahens, two eggs, and one adorable chick who hopped in and out of the fence because he was much tinier than the links - long-legged and fluffy. The Siberian tigers lolling in the mud looked self-satsified, and terrifyingly large. The baby Snow Leopards were adorable, but already getting large.

It was clear they put all their money into the care of the animals rather than making the place look elegant. The animals all looked happy, sleek and healthy. The buildings looked adequate and suited to the animals, but not prettified. There were a lot of animals, some rare, some not so rare. There was a hilarious Prairie Dog that loved climbing his fence and begging for carrots.

Apparantly the name "Papanack" is something they made up themselves, and they define it as "Preservation and Conservation through Education".

Comments

[squashed.livejournal.com]

I just found out about that zoo this summer and I've been wanting to get the kids there. Great to know that the animals are good. Now to arrange for transportation...

*grins*

Glad you enjoyed your visit.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

The zoo was terrific - I know your kids will love it.

I got your wonderful postcard of the Love Society Recognizes but Cannot Forgive. Thank you so much! It really cheered me up in a basically miserable day. Well, not entirely, but sort of. *Very* much appreciated.