Animals

I love to observe and learn from animals. Last week, with a day off in San Diego, we spent some time at the SD Zoo. It is much more than a zoo now, with interesting botanical sections and educational programs. Here are a just a few pictures and observations.

I'm not sure what the guy on the right was really up to, whether he wanted to get out and run across the open savanna or just join in with whatever the wild boars were eating next door.

Speaking of lunch, we observed numerous animals, including the Siberian Brown Bear here, gnawing on some bones, and speculated what unfortunate visitors might have turned into satisfying meals.

Could it also be that animals have a form of spirituality? Might some parent animals teach their young to kneel in prayer? We observed the flamingos strutting around the stream and noticed that the grey-feathered youngons were in the posture of confessional or practicing their bed-time prayer.

While some animals are loners, others are very social and may have elaborate societies like the Meerkats below. We spent a long time watching these guys. While everyone goes about their business, one stands guardand keeps a lookout. The one on top kept a vigil for at least ten minutes before coming down.

--georgos