If I could talk to the animals, learn their languages...

[serai]

.

Okay, this? Has to be the most incredible thing EVER.


Hands-on zoo outside Buenos Aires, Argentina


A small zoo in Argentina that lets you go INSIDE THE CAGES. You can pet the lions, hand-feed milk to the tigers, ride the elephants, take pictures with the monkeys. The author of the blog post had her pic taken on the back of a male lion! I love how the big cats are all *yawn* hey guys, how ya doin'?

And the cheetah! And the little bears! OMG LOOOOVE

Check out these vids:

Lions!...

...tigers!...

...and bears, oh my!

Even a puppy dog gets in on the fun!



If I ever get to Argentina (my mom's from there) this is DEFINITELY top of my list.

Comments

[serai1.livejournal.com]

I don't know, but one of the points the blog poster made was that people in South American are MUCH less fearful than people here. It's only here in the States that litigiousness has gone to insane heights, with people threatening to sue over the smallest stuff. I find it refreshing that this kind of thing exists, and I'd be happy to jump in. We're just too paranoid and vicious in this country.

[lindmere.livejournal.com]

I agree about the litigiousness, but it doesn't seem like it would take much to spark a serious accident. I hope the lucky participants are well briefed (and watched over) by the zookeepers. Seeing how people behave around wild animals, it seems like it's asking for trouble.

Not that I haven't wanted to throw my arms around a lion my entire life (not a wild one; I think they smell).

[serai1.livejournal.com]

The zoo attendants are there all the time, making sure people are okay. You can't see them because of the angles in some of those shots, but they're there. Also, since Argentina has a national health care system (liek every OTHER civilized country), there'd be no need to sue if you got hurt. Unless, of course, the person is just a pissy asshole who wants to shut the place down. There don't seem to be any of those visiting the zoo, though.

I remember a scene from Michael Mann's film Manhunter, where the serial killer (played by Tom Noonan) takes his blind girlfriend to the zoo, where he has a friend that does vet work for the animals. The doctor allows her to hug a tiger that's been put under for an operation. I was SO JEALOUS when I saw that scene! I adore big cats, and I'd take the risk if it meant I could touch one of them!

[lindmere.livejournal.com]

Big cats are deceptively soft and fluffy looking (as is your adorable icon, BTW). I was lucky enough to visit the Serengeti, and we saw a leopard asleep in a tree after making a kill. He was sprawled over a tree limb with his four huge paws hanging down and his tail dangling like an old-fashioned bell pull. It was so tempting just to reach out and tug on it as if he were Tigger...luckily, I resisted, and hence, am alive.

[serai1.livejournal.com]

Um, I would never touch any wild animal, so I hope you didn't get the impression that I'm that kind of idiot. Hell, I'd turn and run like hell at even the far sight of a bear cub or lion cub. But the animals at this zoo are obviously very accustomed to being touched by people, and if there had ever been any incidents, I'm sure the animal would be retired from open petting.

Bottom line is, I'm just not the kind of person who worries or is fearful of things. Living like that is one of my versions of hell, and I'm amazed at how many people are comfortable with it. Life's too short to drink bad wine, as the poet said.

[lindmere.livejournal.com]

Oh, I certainly didn't think you were a wild-animal-toucher...just agreeing that big cats are irresistibly magnetic.

My stepdaughter was unfortunately raised by a family that never misses an opportunity to freak out at dangers real or imagined. Their campaign of terror, which has lasted 19 years, has resulted in a young woman that, while smart and decent, is thoroughly content with mediocrity and terrified of trying new things. She aggressively embraces the idea of being a big fish in a small pond, and gets emo mopey when people urge her to aspire to more. Not to create a big labored metaphor, but I'm afraid the same is true of us as a nation, given how people respond when someone (ahem) calls on them to try new things.

[serai1.livejournal.com]

Geez, I cannot tell you how sad that makes me. Young people should be FEARLESS; hell, it's part of their job! I know I was a complete ass that way when I was young. At least, as far as I was allowed; I was raised by paranoid parents too. Since I couldn't go skydiving or surfing, sing in a rock band (even though I'd been invited), or hitchhike to Santa Barbara, I took out my fearlessness by cutting class and fucking anything with legs. Had some fun, was lucky enough not to get into any bad situations, and never did learn to be scared of people. Don't much LIKE a lot of them, especially these days, but scared? Nah.