The Cairainian Zoo

This is unlike any zoo I've ever been to for a number of reasons, first I was never sure what the show was ourselves or the animals, and second I know of no other place where you can bribe the zoo keepers to take you into the back to pet and take pictures holding the animals (I have a picture with a 7 month old Lion to prove it). There was a group of 8 of us who all went to the zoo. It was fascinating watching how certain girls in our group attracted attention from the Arab patrons there, mostly it was little kids and a few adults, but it was such a great 'people watching' experience. Some of the Arab women would take their youngest children and stick them in the girls arms, for some type of approval or something, and they would all smile and laugh and talk in mixed Arabic and English. Meanwhile, all the other children are crowding around, laughing, running around each other and asking that we take their picture, at which point they demand to see it and then shout for joy and run off happily, that is they finally ran off after we told them no more pictures, which was usually and the 5th or 6th one. It was a lot of fun for me, but mostly because I got to watch these interactions between our group and those we met.

There is another aspect of the zoo which isn't so positive. Because the zoo “allows” you to get very close to the animals, to feed them, to touch them, to take pictures with them (discreetly), it is actually not a very good place for the animals. I don't think they are treated very well at all. One elephant I saw was standing next to the keeper and all of the people were feeding him lettuce leaves. Initially I thought nothing of it until I realized that he was chained there in such a way that even if he wanted to back away he was unable to do so. I'm sure the lion that we got to pet and take pictures with was either abused into submission so that it was use to that type of treatment or it was drugged. All I know is it was a mixed experience for me as far as the animals go because of my new experiences, but these were at the expense of many of the animals.