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OMYGOSH can you believe this newest picture from Jon Rafman's Google Earth project? I so wish there was a location listed - the strolling tiger and the barren industrial park are just so incongruous that I can't figure out where this could possibly be.... any thoughts?
Have you had any interesting experiences with wild animals? I think I've told you about swimming with a capybara, the world's largest rodent, in Peru? He was very friendly .. I think his name was Charlie.
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I've had several encounters with monkeys that range from the cute and cuddly to downright SCARY. In the cities of India, smaller monkeys have learned to coexist with humans - mostly by acting cute and swiping food from al fresco diners. But in Kathmandu, we visited a temple inhabited by real big monkeys - the scary kind with big teeth that they bare at you at any sign of provocation. While we were touring the complex, a monkey attacked a couple walking by, even drawing blood! Not so cute after all...
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And speaking of tigers, we visited the famous Bandhavgarh tiger preserve while in India. We took morning and evening safaris, riding in open air jeeps through the preserve, constantly on the watch for tigers. We were lucky to see several - it was amazing to watch those beautiful creatures float in and out of the shadows. They really are majestic. One day, a group on an elephant safari spotted a tiger and all the nearby jeeps crept close to watch. Suddenly, the elephant spooked and went crashing through the forest, jostling her passengers like rag dolls! Luckily, the tiger was disinterested in the whole spectacle...
What crazy animal stories do you have?
When I was a kid our next door neighbors kept a young male lion as a pet! He wasn't old enough to have a mane, had been declawed and defanged, and slept in a doghouse in their backyard. He was behind a fence but it was still really scary. My mom called animal control and they removed the lion and found a place for him in a zoo. I have no idea where our neighbors got him but it certainly wasn't legal.
ReplyDeleteAs an adult I feel really sorry for the lion. What a miserable adolescence! I hope he was happy at the zoo.
How sad! It amazes me what animals people consider pets... I especially can't understand big cats - yeah, they're beautiful, but come on! They're some of the most dangerous predators. In Florida, I visited this center that helps rescues big cats - it's amazing the work they do: http://bigcatrescue.org/
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