At the zoo….
Do you think they are happy? Do you think they know any
different? I mean, sure, some of them (all of them?) were hatched there at the
zoo, so they don’t know any different, but instinctually, they have to know
something is not right. It’s the ones that were captured from the wild and
brought to the zoo (are there even any of those?) that I am most concerned
about. Do they know? They get fed, they are kept warm….or cold…or whatever it
is penguins like to be….and they are taught tricks and some lady with a whistle
marches them out in groups a few times a day to dive into a pool and get
applause. And fish. They look happy. But are they? Or have they just come to terms with the fact that this is how life is going to be for them now?
I think about the penguins at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas a lot. Las Vegas is basically the exact opposite environment in which a penguin thrives, yet, there they are, waddling around outside in the scorching heat. I saw a sign up once that said not to antagonize the penguins because, due to the heat, they were molting and when they molt, they get bloated and crabby and will probably bite you. I wanted to let all of the penguins loose and then find the Penguin Manager and slap him. Of course they are crabby. They aren’t where they belong. They are trapped. For them, everything is all wrong.
I get that. Penguins are my homeboys.
5 comments:
So cute! I love little Penguins! The movie Happy Feet always makes me smile! Let's go free the Penguins and the poor Lions in Vegas!!
While I know that zoos pay for a percentage of my salary, I still am unsure on how I feel about them. Many of the animals just look sad being in their exhibits. Even with plenty of room to run around, it's still not endless.
I just wrote a whole huge paragraph discussing Sanctuaries vs Zoos and then felt it's probably best not to preach here...especially considering my source of income.
But yes, I feel ya. How can they not feel trapped?
Ahhh. This sounds like you're writing about yourself, trapped in this crappy ass weather, when you belong and thrive in Cali...:(
Bah. That's sad to think about hot, molting, bloated, crabby penguins :(
Poor penguins! I have never heard that about Vegas, I didn't even know there were penguins there! It's so hot! I feel that way about elephants at the circus. If there is ever a circus in our town Jim always wants to take the babes and I always say NO! I will not give money to an organization that is most likely abusing those sweet elephants. You have a good heart, that is why I love you!
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