I love animals. And I love seeing animals that I have never seen before or don't get the pleasure of seeing very often. The Fort Worth Zoo is fantastic in my opinion and it never lets me down. As I was trying to take pictures of people for the final assignment I was also taking some time to see what I wanted to see. I wanted to at least get my money's worth while I was there too.
The zoo wasn't very busy today so I wasn't having to fight a crowd or jostle around with people to get a good look at the animals. While I was walking through the big bird section that has the eagles and all those kinds of big prehistoric-looking birds, I was reminded of "A River Runs Through It" and how nature can help us reconnect with God and ourselves. Those giant birds with huge, gnarly talons and beaks that look like they could quickly shred something apart reminded me how amazing His creations are. And how beautifully dangerous they are. I could just sit there and watch them. I would stare at them and they seemed to be staring back. I wish animals could talk so I could ask them what it is like to be in a zoo where all you do all day is watch people come and go. I feel sad for the animals in zoos even though I like to go see them. Granted, these animals have a pretty good life. They are always fed and always kept safe. But I know that they somehow know that they are in cages. They are always confined. One blue magpie really made me feel sorry for him. He was flying back and forth across his enclosure. He was carrying a stick in his beak and it was like he had a purpose for it. He would stop and purposefully look at me from a spot in the fence that did not have a plexi-glass cover. He knew that there was something there keeping him from me. He was beautiful, but unhappy. I don't know if it is a good thing in the eyes of the Creator that we have caged his animals. Some of them are better off in a zoo than in the wild because they are becoming extinct or what have you.
So, I guess I kind of have a love-hate relationship with zoos. I love seeing the exotic animals, but I can't help but feel their sadness. I am able to witness God's magnificent creations because they are in a zoo. Did he intend for us to do this though?
I agree that it is sad to see the animals all locked up in the zoo. I sometimes also think of it in from a different perspective thought. Some of the animals were born in the zoo, so essentially they know nothing different. Perks of the zoo for them are they are always fed, the ones that have never had to find food don't have to fight for their food like the animals in the wild. And also, funny to think about, but have you ever thought if the animals might think we are the ones locked up, and they get to constantly be entertained by us walking around in our cages.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is sad to see the animals all locked up in the zoo. I sometimes also think of it in from a different perspective thought. Some of the animals were born in the zoo, so essentially they know nothing different. Perks of the zoo for them are they are always fed, the ones that have never had to find food don't have to fight for their food like the animals in the wild. And also, funny to think about, but have you ever thought if the animals might think we are the ones locked up, and they get to constantly be entertained by us walking around in our cages.
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