Gorilla

Bristol Zoo has changed a lot since last I was there. We visited this evening on a cheap after-hours ticket (next opportunity 17th June), and although it ended up raining we had a good wander around. Zoos are difficult places - animals out of their natural habitat, confined into too small areas, and yet perhaps only through the work the zoos do will animals survive in our human-dominated world.

Many of the large animals of my childhood have gone - some to "Wild Place" up the road; another place I've not yet visited. It was crowded too, no doubt in response to the cheap tickets, and I felt very much as some of the animals must - confined into a noisy alien environment. That the place was also full of [gasp] young people didn't improve things. Oh, I am so old and rural now.

However, this fellow was awesome. Sat on his island gazing at the humanity filing past as if he too was bewildered as to why they were there. Then, as a new group of screaming sugar-filled, ice-cream-coated children drew near, he scornfully turned his back and wandered in to his crib.