Since taking that spring trip to Nara I must say that I have developed a fondness for exotic animals, or should I say animals in general. Sure, as a vegetarian I have respect for all blood and bones specimen, however, except for my domesticated cat and dog, I usually keep all other creatures at arm's length. This is partly out of respect though.
On my trip to this animal enclosure over the weekend, I was surprised to find all these animals in Japan. It was of course Wen’s idea to go because she is a huge animal lover. I was especially glad to see that many of them were not held in cages. This place was more akin to a farm, and some of them were given what many exotic animals are not; a free reign.
I must confess that I am not a big fan of zoos or anything that resembles one. Mind you, I am not interested in joining PETA, but there is something that is so heartbreaking about seeing those majestic animals in cages. Don’t get me wrong I would not advise my partner to try taking a picture with a tiger or a Black Mamba, but it was rather satisfying watching her pose with this herbivore.
Some might argue that this enclosure is the quadrupedal equivalent of a halfway house. That might be the case and I must say that a part of me agrees with this sentiment, however, a bit of freedom is better than none. That is assuming freedom can be viewed in relative as opposed to absolute terms.
But after all this quasi-philosophical rambling, I must say that this Saturday afternoon was one that was well spent. Those times with my significant other were rather precious, and interacting with the animals brought me back to those moments I spent with the deer in Nara.
