by popular demand

So some of you have been reading my blogs regularly, which is surprising and nice!

I was walking through the zoo today and Christina (my co-worker) and I always make it a point to walk past the primate and cat building every afternoon. It's good exercise plus we take advantage of the fact that we work in the zoo. Yes, we see the huge tortoises, the cheetahs, the kangaroos, wallabies, and then walk up a fairly graded hill, which we all call "the hill" up to the primate and cat building. There we pass the snow leopard, the mandabay monkeys, the red panda. Then comes the Gorillas, my favorite!

The tortoises are fairly active, and they actually lift their heavy shelled bodies off the ground and crawl about, curious about the visitors. They have these brown wise eyes, I do not know how old they are, but they look very old in their wrinkly skin. They are quiet and calm!

The cheetahs pace forever, but on very HOT days (very hot is relative in Cleveland), the cheetahs lounge about staring into the distance. Their eyes have a look of longing for open open Savannah which they could run their max speed, stretching their legs one last time.

Down in the valley, after walking down the boardwalk, we come to the zoo's version of the land down under! The Kangaroos are always lounging about, one can imagine them leaping across Australia with all the force of their strong legs, and heavy tail. They are cute, yet powerful in their own way - large bunnies with pouches. I once read in a fact section of the Young World in "The Hindu" newspaper, that when the British made port in Australia, they saw these large animals jumping around. They asked the Aborigines. " what are those?" and the Aborigines not understanding them said "ganga- roo, ganga-roo" which apparently meant "I don't understand you"!!!! Down Under they have a lot of cool terms and phrases much liek slang here in US and other parts of the world. However the Aussie slang is waaay cooler than anything i ever heard (all respects to Steve Irwin, and the term "Crickey Mate"!!!).

Moving on to the snow leopard, he always hides behind a rock, however today he was laying ontop of the rock so we could see him! The monkeys are always active, and there are many more monkeys inside the building, but it is usually crowded and noisey so we stay out of there! Then some the Red-Pandas. They are small and red ofcourse, and UTTERLY adoreable like stuffed animals! THEY LOOK LIKE TOYS!!! Recently they gave birth and the youngen are in a safe place, out of human sight.

Finally are Mokolo and Bebac. The Gorillas. I love these guys, they are huge, stealthy in the jungles of africa, yet powerful and deadly. One swipe of their hand could knock a grown man out cold. Their Palms vs. our measly hands, its amazing! Yet we are a like and eerily so, though their eyes are filled with sorrow, longing and boredom. I feel they need female company, for both are male. I feel for them so much, and I have grown to love these beastly men. The children always go to the cage and make fun of how ugly they are, or yell "hoo-hoo-hoo!" at them while mimicking ape gestures. I feel resentful toward the children - if it were them inside there, it would not be too funny then. I'm sure if Mokolo or Bebac could talk they would say you ugly filthy kids, didn't your w*@#$% mother's teach you any @!#@%$ manners!??! If mankind hadn't sought to take control (and whether it is natural order or not, HUMANS ARE GREEDY B@$%@#!$), the Gorilla's would be happily abound and not in cages, there wouldn't be such severe issues of endangered and extinct species.
Whatever, I never thought I would be a Gorilla Lover (as Polloy put it!) but you can't help but realize how much like us they are, but more emotion, they are just spewing it all over. At least I feel it.

Whether you share the views or not, I just want you to know, Animals are beautiful people too. Look deeper, and you'll see it. They are not different from Human babies, except they do not grow up and speak and work. However their hearts seem to be in the right place, except labradors which suffer from constant gluttony! (just kidding!)

(I think this needs editing, too much raw passion. Seems amateurish. What do you think?)

Image courtesy of National Geographic - Picture of the Day - Michael Nichols