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A few of us foreigners went to the safari and zoo, and got to see and experience some exotic animals...
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We walked around the periphery of the zoo area and saw these guys. Very cool! I think it's been too long since I've been to the zoo--any zoo. |
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Here's a peacock couple--I did what I could to take a picture through the fence, just as the male began to show his true colors! |
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| This was the monkey cage--but I found that they were also running free...I witnessed a monkey steal a peice of corn on a stick that belonged to a child. I thought they were pretty bold--some nerve! | |
On the safari, we rode on a very small bus with a lot of folks. The windows are barred because we rode through the animals' open environment--so we were the caged ones. Here's a black bear, minding his own business. |
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| Through the bus bars I spotted these large animals... | |
Then a Bengal tiger! He was beautiful--in another person's camera frame, the tiger looked so poised that it could have made the cover of the National Geographic. He was lazily watching the bus go by... |
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| ...until he decided to intercept the bus! Well I don't need to tell you that our bus suddenly became front-heavy with people, leaning over to look at him--cameras everywhere. | |
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the end of the bus line, and in a cage of his own, was this rare white tiger!
It reminded me of the old Jefferson Airplane song, "Ride the Tiger":
'I want to ride the tiger... It will be black and white in the dead of night
Eyes flashing in the clear moonlight I want to ride the tiger.'... |
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| Inside an elephant pen, the workers feed the mama and babies. They seemed pretty serene--I was fascinated to see them up close. | |
A worker helped me pose with the elephant in his care--it felt like a tourist thing to do, and the elephant seemed trained and obviously used to doing this pose, but I was still so thrilled! With my hand on her trunk, she wrapped it up and over it, like a hug!! :) |
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| I walked up to the side again with the hotel mini bananas I had in my shirt, and found that it was a big draw for this baby elephant. So cute! I watched as he lumbered over to me...but all he cared about was the banana. | |
I fell in love with this little guy--SO adorable. I so wanted to take him with me! :) |
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| Back alongside the safari parking area, I noticed this male rider elephant--he seemed huge. I really began to see how gentle they are, or at least are trained to be--and quickly becoming my favorite animal. | |
So how could I participate? I saw these folks with corn husks, and paid 60 rupees to feed the elephant a bunch. A boy there volunteered to take my picture while doing it--but the elephant was so fast as he took each whole husk from my hand, and swallowing it in the blink of an eye, that catching me in the act of feeding him was nearly impossible! Wow. this guy was quick. |
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