Free the animals
I want to believe that zoo’s are around to help people learn about animals so that they can help them. Is that true? It’s been so long since I’ve been to a zoo because honestly I have a hard time with all those animals behind cages, even fish zoos tend to get me a little down. So yesterday I took my niece and our 14 year old visitor to the New Orleans Zoo, which is considered one of the finest in the country and we got there late in the afternoon after it had been storming, and we got to see my favorite animal – the elephant. I just love elephants. I can look at them forever. The elephants at our zoo are Asian elephants but a few years ago, I spent the weekend in Arkansas at Riddle’s Elephant Sanctuary and most of the elephants they had were African elephants. The ears is the tell on which region they come from as the Africans have ears that are like a large map of Africa.
The work that Scott and Heidi do at Riddle’s is extraordinary, they not only continue research on this fine creature but give these ex circus animals a place to grow old. The visit to the zoo was quite amazing and I know that children must love to go, but I still can’t help feeling like they are there for our benefit and not theirs and I’m not quite sure we have that much to offer them. I could be wrong, but that’s just my feeling.
Here is a photo of me bathing Betty Boop at Riddle’s and the other is Booper and Peggy in the water cooling off.
