Today is supposed to be the last of day of two weeks of great spring weather. So we decided to take the kids to the zoo. I know some people have objections to keeping animals in confinement, but I think they are such wonderful places, this one included. Without having to spend a fortune or risk your life going on safari, exploring the jungle and scuba diving every ocean, you get to taste a bit of the beauty and weirdness of nature and wildlife itself.

This zoo made the news a few years ago because a gorilla, named Bokito, jumped 4 meters over the security canal, ran into the rest area and playground and grabbed a lady. He dragged her through the restaurant and as you can imagine, caused quite a commotion. It turned out that the lady had gone to see the gorilla every day and had sort of created a bond with him. She didn’t meet Bokito’s expectations of how a female should behave (totally understandable, men are so hard to read anyway, let alone the gorilla type!), so he went after her and wounded her pretty seriously. Since then, they’ve broadened the canal and constructed a 10 meter high wall so that there’s no way that this could ever happen again.

We went to see the gorillas and waved at Bokito. There was a mother holding her one-week-old baby and stroking and kissing it and my mother’s heart just melted. In the mean time, she was picking her nose and eating it as well. The behavior must certainly be part of the 99 percent genes that I for sure have in common with her!

The zoo opened 150 years ago and it interesting to see how the landscaping and functionality has developed. From watching the animals behind bars to walking through their habitats. Not just being able to observe them but also being educated about their natural environment. And probably most important, protecting the animals instead of having them taken from their home country.

The good thing is that these positive developments are taking place in developing countries as well. Not to say that you don’t get to see the most pitiful sights. Sad and frustrated lions and jaguars in cages 3 by 4. Monkeys that people can just throw all their trash at and tease. Birds that can’t fly or walk around at all.

But in the zoos in Santo Domingo and Skopje you could sense a growing awareness of the importance of the well being of the animals. By the time we left both places, lots of construction was going on to create natural environments that were spacious and safe. For the animals, but also for the visitors. They still have a long way to go…

Just to show you the difference: The hippo in Skopje, picture taken from less than a meter’s distance,

And the hippo in Blijdorp!

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