Yesterday we went to the Bamako Zoological Gardens and it was quite the experience, for a mere 12.5 cents entry fee. As some of you gentle readers may recall from my previous blog in Addis, I told some sad stories about dogs and cats in Africa. I was asked not do that again as it traumatized some readers, so here are some sad stories about leopards and manatees instead.
The museum has some interesting rules. I particularly like this sign:
It says “Forbidden to give cigarettes to the animals.” But can they buy them? It is, however, good to see the zoo authorities trying to stamp out the ravages of monkey lung cancer.
The museum has some interesting rules. I particularly like this sign:
It says “Forbidden to give cigarettes to the animals.” But can they buy them? It is, however, good to see the zoo authorities trying to stamp out the ravages of monkey lung cancer. Or this sign:
“Please don’t throw rocks at the lions” this sign implores. The bone strewn field in front of their den should also give pause to any bold simba-taunters!
“Please don’t throw rocks at the lions” this sign implores. The bone strewn field in front of their den should also give pause to any bold simba-taunters!
This baboon was quite big and very good at catching the bits of fruit the zoo sells to feed the animals. We did note that throughout his performance, however, he was giving us the finger!
This is a shot of a crocodile in a dog house. No wonder Malian mailmen run so fast!The zoo has what could be called a Darwinian approach to safety. The fences are a tad distressed so one can approach the cages quite closely. As a result you can get a photo of your head closer to a leopard’s than anywhere in Africa, I would wager.
One of team members at the leopard cage. It was purring loudly while we were there, and rubbing itself against the cage. The purring was a familiar, but slightly disconcerting sound.
Two questions: 1. When does "close to a Hyena" become "too close to a hyena?" and 2. How much do I trust Malian cage door makers?
In Addis I posted often on the plight of the African donkey (for you Buddhists, don't be reincarnated as one), and so it seemed that here were the luckiest donkeys in Africa, safely ensconced in a zoo, no matter how dodgey. But then we looked a bit to the right of this bucolic scene...
No, he is not resting. I imagine he will be lion Purina in the next few days.I'll post more zoo pictures soon.
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