Polar Bears and Meerkats

Liz and I spent part of the day today wandering around the Lincoln Park Zoo. I’ve been here before (and taken my share of photos), so this time around I didn’t get too detailed with the documentation.

We got to see the polar bears out and about, which seemed a rare treat given the heat. I’m torn about how I feel about zoos. On the one hand, all the wonder and awe displayed by all the kids around me seemed to be a good thing. On the other hand, the animals just plain old don’t seem happy. Contented maybe, but not happy.

When I see how happy the kids are, I think zoos are a good thing; when I see parents banging on the glass or yelling at the animals so they’ll turn around for a photograph… I think zoos are a bad thing.

The polar bear in particular made me feel conflicted. It’s beautiful, and one of my favorite moments from today is in the video (below), with the kids talking to one another. But in watching him, he kept swimming the same path over and over again, doing these endless laps. He would look at people as he swam by, and I couldn’t help but hear him say “get me out of here.”

One meerkat.

Two meerkats.

Three meerkats!

Just sittin’ back, hanging out.

More pics and videos from last year’s visit.