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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / June 2005The Big Cats! (A trip to the zoo)
John and I spent *hours* at the zoo yesterday. (I can't believe I forgot to take my camera, darnit.) We saw some awesome big kitties :) The cheetahs were hisspitting at each other. One of them was lounging under a shade tree and every time the other tried to come near she'd start to rise and issue a low growl, or hiss, and I swear at one point she even barked like a dog! The cougers were sound asleep, doing upside-downy head! John noticed there was a beer keg floating in the water and made the comment, "They must have had one heck of a party last night!" A guy standing next to us heard him and started laughing. The lynxes were busy having a wash. It's so funny to see a cat the size of a medium dog patiently washing its face and ears just like our little furry owners. The black panther and a leopard were in the same enclosure (aren't they actually the same species?), hanging out in the shade of some rocks by a waterfall, looking very laid back. They looked so soft! The Memphis Zoo is an excellent one. Regardless of what you think of zoos in general, the animals all looked fit and healthy. I remember 30 years ago the big cats were in cement cages about 10 foot square with a tiny door to the outside of the "cat house" if they wanted some sunshine. It took the better part of 10 years for them to revamp the zoo with natural settings, water falls, moats, plants, rocks and plenty of room for the cats to roam around. Oh, and we have a pair of Pandas on loan from China for another 8 years or so. It was cool to get to see them. I also got a big kick out of watching one of the zoo staff feeding sardines to some penguins. Those little birds sure can boogie under water! I highly recommend you go to the zoo if you're ever in town. Be prepared to spend the better part of the day there in order to see everything; it's very big! John is on his way to a show in Ohio now. Persia has apparently forgiven me for ignoring her for the better part of the week, except to run home and clean the litter box and feed her. I thought I'd have to endure much more torture... maybe I'd better keep my eyes peeled. She probably has something up her paw :) Jill  SignatureI used to have a handle on life...but it broke off. Oh sounds like fun. The tigers are my favorite. I have photograph at home of me feeding a baby tiger! Well he was about 3 months old but as big as a small dog! Skritches, KittyLady > Oh sounds like fun. The tigers are my favorite. I have photograph at > home of me feeding a baby tiger! Well he was about 3 months old but as > big as a small dog! > > Skritches, > KittyLady Oh yes, we saw tigers, too. Huge stripey cats... absolutely gorgeous. The sign said the adults eat about 70 pounds of raw meat a day. And here I complain about the price of Persia's prescription x/d food... hmmm. LOL Jill >> Oh sounds like fun. The tigers are my favorite. I have photograph at >> home of me feeding a baby tiger! Well he was about 3 months old but as [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >Jill Sounds like you had a fabulous time!! I love to see the big cats, too-- in the Bronx Zoo, there are great exhibitions. You look at the tigers from a glass enclosure-- you're in the cage, so to speak, and the tigers are all around you. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com jmcquown Wrote: > The black panther and a leopard were in the same enclosure (aren't they > actually the same species?), hanging out in the shade of some rocks b > a > waterfall, looking very laid back. They looked so soft! Yes, they are the same species. A black panther actually is black-furred leopard. In some angles of sunlight, you can tell th rosette-marking in a blacky's fur. I know how awesome a trip to the zoo can be; down here in th Netherlands we have some great zoos as well, and it is indeed true tha the animals are nowadays housed -way- better than they used to be! Th Ouwehand Animalpark in Rhenen is one of the best examples; they hav created large forests and plains for lots of different animals. The zo in Arnhem is a good example as well; they have a full tropical forest i a huge greenhouse, with birds and butterflies and all flying aroun loose (and sometimes pestering visitors :) ), and some more dangerou animals in pens that just look like natural valleys so they can't reac the visitors. They also have a desert plain in a huge greenhouse, an one of the latest additions is an enormous walk-through ocean! (Yo walk through a glass tunnel at the bottom of the ocean). Yes, indeedy, a trip to the zoo can be enchanting, and not just fo little kids. Even many adults can enjoy themselves very much and eve learn a whole bunch! Purrs, Fritti and his gang -- Fritti > jmcquown Wrote: >> The black panther and a leopard were in the same enclosure (aren't [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > be! The Ouwehand Animalpark in Rhenen is one of the best examples; > they have created large forests and plains Same here in Memphis, Tennessee USA (along with waterfalls). > animals. The zoo in Arnhem is a good example as well; they have a > full tropical forest in a huge greenhouse, with birds and butterflies > and all flying around loose (and sometimes pestering visitors :) ), We went into a "free flight area" in the bird house and John was being buzzed (I'm sorry, it was funny!) by some sort of wren. I love the bird part of the zoo because they have done a fantastic job with the natural flora and fauna. In one area (not the free flight) where they have no netting or caging, I overheard a young girl (heh, I must be getting old, she was 20 if she was a day) asking "Why don't the birds fly out of this [area]?" I said, "It's the lighting." "What?" "Yes. Birds will not fly out of well lit areas into the dark. That's why they don't need any sort of netting between us and the birds." [Note: I'm sure there's an errant rebel who decides to fly into the dark and smack a visitor on the head but in all these years I have never heard of one.] > and some more dangerous animals in pens that just look like natural > valleys so they can't reach the visitors. They also have a desert [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Purrs, > Fritti and his gang. I hate zoos, after 3 bad experiences, 1 seeing the poor old lions pacing up and down like zombies at Regents Park Zoo, another seeing a poor elephant in Perth Zoo shackled up with no shade and third and perhaps more memorable was at a school trip (I was about 12 at the time). It was a hot day and the keepers told us not to go too near the tiger enclosure. Being that age we defied them, and one of them peed on us, which was his party piece apparently. The smell of tiger pee on a hot day in your hair is something I've never forgotten! > The black panther and a leopard were in the same enclosure (aren't they > actually the same species?), hanging out in the shade of some rocks by a > waterfall, looking very laid back. They looked so soft!/// You can be pretty 100% sure that the "black panther" is a melanistic leopard. The black coat comes from a genetic anomaly which causes the coact to be black instead of spotted. However, if you look in the sun, you can still see the spots. Same thing with black jaguars and also many domestic cats who are black are actually melanistic tabbies. HRFL Tiger is one. Helen M |
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