Zoo Day - L.A. Zoo

So are you the kind of person who likes zoos?

Or are you like Mr. Paradis and his family?

They tend to abhor zoos and circuses

and are inclined to find them cruel and unhappy places.

I have to admit that I found the L.A. Zoo like a lot of places in America where it seems

that more money has been spent on concrete, restaurants, souvenir shops

and maybe not so much on animals.

There has been a big controversy in L.A. about the mental state of the elephants at this zoo.  (And I didn't post pictures of the one elephant that we did see, because he/she did not look happy or relaxed.)

But I must say that the other animals (though there were surprisingly few of them on exhibit) we saw looked very healthy and sound.

Our family is lucky that we have the zoo virtually at our doorstep.

With habitats disappearing, I feel like we are privileged to be able to see these animals alive with our

own eyes and sharing space with them.  I always hope that their beauty will inspire enough zoo visitors

so that when they have they means, they will do what they can to preserve and improve the quality of lives and habitats of our fellow living beings.  So that we'll always have choices - whether to see them close at home.  Or in the wild.

How's your New Year been so far?  Already almost a week into it!