This morning, at the Phoenix Zoo, I heard a lioness woofing. Maybe that’s the wrong word, because it certainly was nothing like a dog barking. But she repeated this deep, piercing ‘wooofff’ several times, almost as if she were coughing. It seemed too intentional to be coughing though. I wonder what had her riled up, or trying to communicate?
I don’t know about you, but until I had kids, I hadn’t been to a zoo in well over a decade… maybe even closer to two decades. That was a mistake. Despite any concerns you may have (occasionally well-founded) about the treatment or habitat of zoo animals, you really can’t help but be amazed by some of the things you see. And Discovery Channel or Animal Planet, as interesting as they can be… well, it’s just different in person. Not every animal is impressive, but most of them demonstrate features or skills which make you feel, well, human (i.e., frail). From the height of a giraffe to the strength and agility of a gibbon monkey eating his lunch while hanging from one hand… various sights remind you of your place in the world.
Plus, you can’t beat the zoo for keeping the kids happy! But worth a visit even without young ‘uns.