a day at the zoo

A Day at the Zoo

Last Sunday we visited the Zürich zoo. It had been quite awhile since our last
visit and it was quite interesting to see the many 'animal friendly' changes
that had been put in place. Many of the animal communities had been 'upgraded',
so to say.

The pink flamingo community was now hidden from direct view by a wall of dense
grasses and bamboo. They were all out and about doing what pink flamingos do.
Many of them standing on one leg, heads tucked in under a wing. Others were busy
bathing, or eating, or just wandering around their little dorf. From time to
time, they were visited by other flying creatures. The occasional raven or
sparrow would fly in, hop around the shore of the pond a bit and then fly off
again. It didn't cause much of a stir among any of the residents. None of the
flamingos made an effort to move their wings in imitation. None of them tried to
fly. Flying was not anything they knew anything about any more. Their wings had
been clipped shortly after birth. They didn't know that flying was their
original nature. They were a society of flightless creatures, content, secure,
well fed and well taken care of. But were they pink flamingos?

We strolled the densely foliaged paths from one animal community to the next,
thankful for the shade the grasses provided. Two legged creatures of all sizes
and shapes crowded the paths as they walked or waddled from one observation
point to another, incessantly jabbering at each other, like so many agitated
ducks. The four legged residents of the various neighborhoods  seemed to take it
all in their stride. Just another day, their eyes seemed to say. Their world was
precisely defined by the fences, concrete abutments, and moats that surrounded
their piece of real-estate.  In order to survive they knew and we knew they must
stay in their place and we must stay in our place.  Those were the rules of
survival, of continued existence. But is life just a matter of survival?

We were reminded, as we read the conveniently posted notices, that many of the 4
legged ones were on the endangered species list. And that this or that particular
community contained the some of last remnants of a once flourishing species of
this creature. It was with some sense of pride that we mentally congratulated
ourselves that we had played some part in 'saving their world' with our
donations to the zoo. It was easy to forget that if it weren't for enlightened
mankind none of these creatures would be on an endangered species list in the
first place.

The path we were on led us to the newly constructed lion neighborhood. No longer
were the residents of this community limited to roaming in a cramped concrete
box open to the view of all passers-by. They now had some space to roam and hide
and keep their distance from the two-legged ones. And now having that room and
that bit of privacy they chose to use it. None of them were to be seen. A silent
smile filled one's heart.

Not being able to see any of these magnificent creatures, we contented ourselves
with roaming through the information center and viewing some of the photographic
history of mankind's genocidal behavior to this race of creatures.

We silently cursed our “god given right” to ‘...have dominion over the fish of
the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves
upon the earth.’ (Gen:28)  as we read about a 'civilized' man priding himself in
the fact that he had killed 300 lions in his lifetime. And in the same breath,
we silently cursed our “god given right” to dispose of other 2 legged creatures
for the same 'sport of it'. Am i violent? no way, not me. My god said it is ok.
Or did s/he? Where in the definition of the word 'dominion' does one find the
words; kill, murder, exterminate? We create our gods and then don't pay
attention to our own creations. We tell ourselves what they have told us and
then go off in the opposite direction shaking our heads in psychic pain as to
why they allow our collective barbarism to continue. Thank god for gods, for
without them we would have to take responsibility for our asinine behavior.
Whatever would that be like?

It was soon time for lunch and the herd of 2 legged ones, joined in the common
cause of an empty belly, walked or waddled to the feeding grounds. The
in-zoo-restaurant attendants were doling out their delicacies. The 2 legged ones
sat or stood, alone or in groups, many of them eating the prepared remains of
winged or  4 legged creatures. Others, were eating the same fare as many of the
winged and 4 legged ones; vegetables and grains.

Many of the 2 legged ones, having finished their feeding, were lounging in the
cool shade, yawning and scratching, not unlike their 4 legged brothers and
sisters. Others were winding their way to and from the toilet facilities, not
unlike their 4 legged brothers and sisters. Others were busy taking care of
their young ones or old ones not unlike their 4 legged brothers and sisters. All
in all the differences between the 2 legged ones, that have dominion, and 4
legged ones, that are dominated, was becoming difficult to discern. Dominated or
dominator, the cycle of bodily existence is practically the same. Wherein does
the difference lie?

Having eaten, and having gone through our own 2 legged rituals, it was time to
leave this version of a zoo. But where does one really go? We 2 legged ones make
the zoos. We  build the zoos, with our ideas, our beliefs, our philosophies, our
gods. We build the walls. We build the zoos and we live in them. We build the
zoos and put other creatures into them not unlike the creatures living at the
zürich zoo. Oh, we don't call them zoos, of course. We give them fancy names
like, nationalism, patriotism, religion, family, freedom fighters, terrorists,
black, white, brown. We put things in boxes, mental and physical boxes. We are
comfortable, secure, well fed, well groomed. We survive. We exist. We dominate
our world. We master our paltry, emaciated idea of the world and we call that
mastery - life.