The Zoo

I went to the zoo with my three year old granddaughter yesterday.  It was the perfect cloudless, 75 degree day to enjoy.  I’m having flashbacks of myself at zoos as a child, teenager, mother, and grandmother.  Zoos hold an endless fascination for all ages.  The little ones are in awe of everything because it’s new and different.  They are imprinting images that are reflected in their picture books, on television, on iPads and everything else they can learn from.  Their little sponge brains are taking it all in on a fresh level with few preconceptions.  Even the toddlers can understand why watching the chimpanzees is funny.  Eliza pointed out the Mommy and Daddy and the baby, which she did with all the animals.  She was trying to relate them to the world she understands.  Everyone was laughing at their antics as they played with each other and the young one annoyed the older ones as they swung too close or jumped over them or woke them up.  I think that is the appeal.  We humanize the animals or compare them to ourselves.  Maybe it makes us feel more evolved or maybe it makes us understand our animal side.  The flamingos were standing around, as they do, and then a couple of them got annoyed.  Their feathers ruffled and they got into an argument, in human terms, then pecked at each other until someone won.  He, because we all assume males are more aggressive, strutted around the yard, rising to his full height.  I think I’ve seen this before…with humans.  You just have to laugh…we love the zoo!