Gorillas in the Mist

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Day 6 of our trip was spent in a zoo. We had the dilemma of either going to an Open Range zoo at Werribee or to Melbourne Zoo. We picked Melbourne Zoo solely based on close proximity.

I’m not quite certain on my stance on zoos. Although I was amazed to see exotic animals & all, but is it right to deprive animals of their liberty by caging them in zoos for the amusement of mankind ? Australian zoos are among the best in the world. They are designed to replicate the animals’ natural habitat as much as possible. They are well maintained and the animals are properly fed & loved.

Zoos are also built to provide safe haven for animals from the third world endangered of being captured by poachers. But it is not right to make judgement on poachers either if the only available means of providing for their starving family is through the expense of their country’s wildlife. The pressing question is: Is human life more important than primates and other species ? Dian Foster - a well known Australian animal activist who died protecting gorillas in the mist of Africa would probably beg to differ. She connected and showed more compassion with the gorillas than with humans ( I'm recommending her movie for everyone to see - it's a real tear-jerker). The bottom line is, aren’t we all just animals in this cut-throat world ? The only difference is human intelligence has placed us at the top of the food chain.

God bless those more compassionate species such as the vegetarians, animal rights activists like Dian Foster and Steve Irwin to name a few. I must admit that I shed few tears for Mr. Crickey while watching his memorial service on TV. Some people say that he torments animals on his show. Sure he might have looked like a kid with AD/HD who drank too much red cordial, but he really has a genuine passion for wildlife and nature. His hands-on approach to wildlife is what made millions of people pay attention. He raised awareness of animals and helped in the conservation of the environment…….so hail Criiiiiiiiikey !

For AU$22 entrance fee, we saw a pygmy hippo, gigantic giraffe, zany zebras, lazy lions and a silver-back gorilla I caught on tape beating up the other non-alpha male gorillas.

Are these African animals be better off caged in world class zoos or back in Africa where they are endangered of being poached and sold for parts? I guess it’s a matter of one’s perception.

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Photos

Giraffe
Melbourne Zoo

Pygmy Hippo
Melbourne Zoo

Alpha-male gorilla
Melbourne Zoo

Ryan and elephant in the background)
Melbourne Zoo

Liam talking to a zoo keeper about the elephant tooth he's holding
Melbourne Zoo

Jamie & Ryan watching the gorillas
Melbourne Zoo

Butterfly House
Melbourne Zoo

Liam with butterfly on his head
Melbourne Zoo

Me, Liam & Ryan
Melbourne Zoo

Me & Ryan at the viewing deck
Melbourne Zoo

Something Interesting !
Melbourne Zoo

Jamie admiring the Orang-utang's head
Melbourne Zoo

Elephant Sculptures
Melbourne Zoo

Brown Bears
Melbourne Zoo

I just thought I should throw this in....
My brief close encounter with Steve Irwin last year @ the Australia Zoo :>