Wild animals<\/p>\n
I am here on vacation to visit my sister, who lives in
\nJakarta. During my visit, we've had the opportunity to experience
\nsome of Indonesia's natural splendor.<\/p>\n
I have always had a love for wild animals, so I was very
\nexcited to learn of Taman Safari in Bogor, West Java. The drive
\nthrough Taman Safari lived up to all my expectations. You could
\nimagine my excitement when I was told I could have my picture
\ntaken with a tiger. Prior to having our pictures taken, we asked
\nif the animals were drugged to make them docile, but were assured
\nthis was not the case. What began in excitement ended in sadness.<\/p>\n
The tigers appeared only partially lucid. While posing with
\nthe albino tiger's head in my lap, I couldn't believe that with
\nall its magnificence, it's docility was a result of familiarity
\nwith park visitors. It was so limp that I had to lift up its head
\nand hold it up for the picture. How could one of the animal
\nkingdom's most ferocious hunters be handled like a lifeless doll?<\/p>\n
There was also a cheetah that was chained by the neck to a
\ntree. She was very visibly pregnant and was growling and swatting
\nher paws, protecting her unborn babies. I was disturbed about
\nthis, as most zoos allow animals free movement. Also, any
\npregnant animals are usually segregated from physical contact
\nwith park visitors.<\/p>\n
The drive through Taman Safari offers a view of these animals
\nin their natural habitats. National parks and zoos all over the
\nworld are now allowing "viewing only" of the animals, and no
\nexploitation. It is our hope that Taman Safari will jump on this
\n"bandwagon".<\/p>\n
SHARON CADE<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/wild-animals-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }