We took a trip to the Brookfield Zoo this week. It is probably safe to say that Tommy enjoyed the animal statues and the buttons and flaps on the various exhibits even more than he liked the living animals. He has also spent a great deal of time talking about the "ducks, quack, quack," by which he means the disgusting and aggressive Canadian geese that attempted to attack him for his snack trap. It kind of feels like when you get your child a cool new toy and they are only interested in the wrapping paper or box. But, he did have such a great time pushing all those buttons...
Tommy enjoyed seeing some of the animals he likes best, especially those that he associates with his favorite books.
The South American Coast resembled "Curious George Visits the Aquarium" complete with some huge fish tanks and penguins (yes, I allow him to read Curious George. I know, I am a terrible mother, but he LOVES Curious George. In fact, all of his favorite animal books are about primates, and I am not about to let someone else's racism dictate the types of animals that Tommy is allow to choose to like- no matter what books about what white mothers of black children should and shouldn't allow say).
He also liked seeing Zebras and Giraffes, his other two favorite animals from his posters and pictures of Uganda.
It was also a treat to see the Gorillas, the animals prominently featured in "Goodnight Gorilla" and "Hug." We even had the pleasure of seeing a mom and baby gorilla hugging.
For me, going to the zoo was different. I have never been anti-zoo, but after seeing some of those animals in their natural habitats, seeing them in small, artificial enclosures was sad. I know that Zoos raise a great deal of money for preservation of animals in the wild, that many people learn to care about animals through the work of zoos, and that zoos help fight extinction through careful breeding, but it still didn't seem right that the giraffes had no room to run. They are so beautiful when they run.
Tommy enjoyed seeing some of the animals he likes best, especially those that he associates with his favorite books.
The South American Coast resembled "Curious George Visits the Aquarium" complete with some huge fish tanks and penguins (yes, I allow him to read Curious George. I know, I am a terrible mother, but he LOVES Curious George. In fact, all of his favorite animal books are about primates, and I am not about to let someone else's racism dictate the types of animals that Tommy is allow to choose to like- no matter what books about what white mothers of black children should and shouldn't allow say).
He also liked seeing Zebras and Giraffes, his other two favorite animals from his posters and pictures of Uganda.
It was also a treat to see the Gorillas, the animals prominently featured in "Goodnight Gorilla" and "Hug." We even had the pleasure of seeing a mom and baby gorilla hugging.
For me, going to the zoo was different. I have never been anti-zoo, but after seeing some of those animals in their natural habitats, seeing them in small, artificial enclosures was sad. I know that Zoos raise a great deal of money for preservation of animals in the wild, that many people learn to care about animals through the work of zoos, and that zoos help fight extinction through careful breeding, but it still didn't seem right that the giraffes had no room to run. They are so beautiful when they run.
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