Tiger Tiger

I hadn't really planned this, but now my last blip looks like a prequel. I finally visited the zoo for the first time in about 40 years. My brother's visit was the spur. He brought his 8 year old son.

Before we entered I noticed a SQUIRREL on the high fence. When we got inside, I realised that squirrels were everywhere; they had all-access passes. Human keepers (or whatever they're called nowadays) were noticable by their absence (especially at the lion enclosure, where one ignorant scumbag was trying to squirt water from her bottle at one of the lions sleeping near the fence). I suspect the squirrels were the keepers, keeping us in their sights.

We began by heading for theRESTAURANT, an interesting enough place in its way.

I had intended to spend maybe an hour or so there. Ridiculous of course. We ended up wandering around for about four hours. If it weren't for the wain tearing ahead out of sight around the various bends I would have had a nice relaxing dander. The place is so lafrge, with so many trees and hedges, lakes and paths etc. that it really is an extension of Phoenix Park. The animals seem generally healthy enough, though who knows. Some, like the rhinos, can be viewed up close, munching straw, making like Sumo-cattle. Others are quite hard to get a look at, like the sleeping lion (who could blame them?) or the cuckoo-meercats or the rather tattered looking chimps in their dim monkeyhouse.

We were on the way out when my brother noticed the rather innocuous tiger enclosure. We didn't expect to find a viewing window that would allow there amazing beasts to playfully charge us and practically brush against or hands. THIS SHOT was also a contender for the main blip.

Here's ANOTHER SHOT I rather like. And THIS ONE.