Horizonal launch

Blip diliema today. A visit to Noah's Ark Zoo in Wraxall provided me with 3 pictures I wanted to use and I had to decide on one (sad face). But the eagle owl with his take off won the day, I have seen these birds in action many times but until I looked at this didn't realise how low they do go.

Great day at the zoo as it quite small by normal zoo standards and doesn't take too much effort to meander around. There is a great variety of animals, although not necessarily many of each type. It is a zoo with conservation at it's heart and a nice snug country feel.

I was quite excited to see since my last visit they have started the Elephant Eden project. A huge shed and grounds have been laid out and fencing all ready for the homing initially of 4 elephants, who have not been successfully kept wherever they are at the moment. So not a new batch coming in from the wild, ones that are already stuck in captivity. By the looks of the place a dramatic improvement on their present lifestyle.

I have a few problems with Zoos (although I do love certain ones) mainly because I firmly believe the conservation should be done in the home environment. If their environment is the issue, you can put as many breeding programs in place that you want .. but they won't have a proper home to go back to. If we the general public can't get to see that then it's tough, animals shouldn't be all about 'us' it should be all about 'them'. I do agree that in certain circumstances the publicity etc etc can be a good thing, but then again, as long as it is being ploughed back into, from whence we whipped them out from, in the first place.

I completely admire all the rescue programs that go on, mostly trying to put right what humanity has got really wrong. Longleat has rescued Annie the Elephant and apparently now trying to provide more facilities for more elephants in need of a good home. My eldest was out in Thailand recently and went to an elephant rescue centre over there, she was transformed in her thinking by the curator about these beautiful creatures and for goodness sake don't mention Elephants rides ..... she got to wash and feed them which she was much happier with.

The other thing .... deep breath (and I know its not all of them) Children, well parents and children (maybe I should just say other people :( But in particular those ones who know EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING loudly, then make cooing noises to a killer tiger and wonder why it looks at them with distain. The clucky cluck noises at all the other animals ???? Goodness knows what they think of them. Or the nearly worst one tapping/banging on the viewing windows ...... because the animal is not doing anything! It is a zoo not a circus and we are watching the animals in a mock up habitat, and if they had read the information more carefully would see that a lot of animals do spend a lot of time chilling (actually freezing today) and only party piece zumba demonstrations happen in 'our' dreams !! The worst however, Chessington zoo when my second eldest and I had sat watching the gorillas for ages quite happily while other family members scared themselves witless on various rides, there was a lull in the visitors at the window and we were treated to one who came over and put his hand up at the window where my daughter put her hand on the other side, quite an emotional moment for us animal lovers. A gentleman man came out of nowhere and straight in this beautiful creatures face flashed a picture close up .... no further comment, just reflecting on his total ignorance.

Maybe we could have a people zoo set up so that we could watch how other people behave .... oh sorry we already do - reality TV.