Peter came to Sassenach country last week and, amongst the usual (and some not so usual) drama, we ended up (after many a delightful pub lunch) at Colchester Zoo. I'd like to start by saying that, yes, I do consider myself a huge hypocrite as I don't think, having pondered on this for the past few days, that zoos are good things.
Now, I loved seeing elephants and tigers and meerkats and giraffes and monkeys and the snuffliest bears in the world (sun bears- they just lol (not LOL) around like they're in bed on a Sunday waiting on someone to bring them up a cup of tea) and all the other animals I wouldn't get to see had some retarded human being (at some point in the chain) not decided to snatch these poor critters from their natural environments but really, when I think about it, it's just all wrong.
The Orang-Utan really brought it home to me, as if the sloth hadn't been enough (more on him in a minute...). He was sat in a glass box, trying to eat a banana, with people staring in at him and taking his photo, banging on his window.... I've never seen such sad eyes.... I felt like the poor bastard was being violated. He looked like he knew there was a better life for him, somewhere, but that he'd lost all hope. Now, I know this may constitute 'normal' for him, but it's uncomfortable to watch, it's weird- and having paid £32 (for 2) in order to ensure that this craziness continues, I feel really bad.
The sloth, in absolute contrast to its reputation, was industriously turning the branches of a tree into a launching platform in order to scope out his prospects of escape. What struck me later is that he probably does that every day.... Living in hope that one day, if he just climbs high enough, he might just find a hole big enough to squeeze out through and that's it! "Ha! Nothing will stop me now......!"
Most of the animals seemed quite docile and content, mindlessly eating the food provided. The monkeys seemed the happiest (or the most deranged, I suppose....) swinging around making the most of their shit situation... However, the penguins were so conditioned to respond to humans as food-bearers that they couldn't even enjoy their pseudo-environment... They'd turned the tables and were huddled together, staring at the children peeking in at them, pressed right up against the glass following their every move... obsessively, unthinkingly seeking that morsel of fish that would fulfil them so they could get on with their (pretty miserable) lives......
I can't believe I forgot the elephants. Elephants never forget. And the bloody elephant is the very beast who planted this whole idea for the blog in my head... Go figure.... I have never seen such an act of faith in one's abilities and the resultant rewards to be reaped as when I saw an elephant stretching and balancing its weight in the most ungainly, and perilous, manner to reach for the grass (which is always greener) which was on the other side of a wall, completely invisible to it and halfway down an embankment. Imagine an elephant on tiptoes, leaning as far forward as it can whilst blindly feeling around with its trunk, which is also stretched to absolute capacity. Unless you've seen this, you probably can't but try anyway. Hilarious, tragic and inspiring in equal measure.
But what for us? With our 'freedom'? The saddest thing of all is that we're all animals, trapped in a very big zoo...... But which one are you?
Peace and Love.
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