There’s seldom a sight that’s more sad to be found
Than a bored polar bear walking round and around:
In the ice of the Arctic, the most fearsome sight,
In the mud of a summer it’s not even white.
A hunter whose power’s respected by all,
Is trapped in a pen with a pond and a ball.
This mightiest hunter in mild summer’s rain
On an iceberg of concrete, going slowly insane.
I’m sure that zoos are not like this now, but many, many years ago, as a child, I was taken to one – long since closed down – and traipsed around the tiny cages full of magnificent creatures with nothing close to enough space and nothing with which to pass the time. Most of them simply paced backwards and forwards, giving every impression that they were fully aware that, in these conditions, life for them would be mercifully short. I was very young and my eyes were not open to these horrors until I approached a pen which contained a single polar bear. The bear in the picture on the wall was a magnificent beast; a pure white knot of muscle and teeth – the world’s largest terrestrial carnivore – power and savage beauty perfectly aligned. The bear in the compound – a concrete hollow, clearly designed to hold a large amount of water, but containing little more than a bathful at the base of its deepest point, upon which bobbed something that looked suspiciously like a child’s beachball – was thin to the point of emaciation with the yellow/light brown fur that I now know comes with age. From the base of the basin that was clearly intended to be filled with water rose a concrete iceberg to which the animal was clearly expected to swim in order to rest. Unfortunately with the pool drained of water the bear, as tall as he was, would have needed ropes and crampons to reach it. So, head bowed, it just walked round and around its base. Round and around, round and around, round and around… it was one of the saddest sights I have ever seen and I’m not certain that I have ever fully gotten over it. I understand that polar bears are one of the few creatures that will actively hunt a human – I can’t say that I blame them…
Getting On 
That’s really sad but a good zoo is nothing like that and is an important part of conserving some species. I know some people don’t think they should exist at all but the good ones do good work.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That’s so true. When I was young, I was forced to go to the local zoo with condescending adults who thought (and still think) going to the zoo is the right kind of family activity to have with children. I hate those depressed animals. One day, an angry elephant sprayed one of my most authoritarian relatives with all the dirty water he could gather with his trunk. Hahaha. From the moment on, I started to love animals. They are so outspoken and they really know how to punish those who deserve it.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hee hee 😉
LikeLike
I recognize the educational and conservational aspects that make zoos so important, but the older I get the more I have a discomfort with the entire thing. Animals suffer in so many ways at the hands of humans.
LikeLiked by 2 people
When a child can see the sad realty of a bear going bonkers it’s sure no family treat. You must have been a far more sensitive kid than I was. When I was a teenager we went to a small privately owned ‘Zooette’ with a moth eaten old lion, a stumy toothed stumping arthritic crocodile, a listless python and a few moles, voles or furry rodents of some blandly grey description. By then I was old enough to see and care. This animal House/Hotel of Horrors went bankrupt soon after, but I would never have set foot in it again afterwards anyway.
Yes, a good zoo can help species survival. The sad bad ones need to be put down.
A touching and humorous read; Not an easy thing to do. in a few lines. Well written Mr Colin.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gosh, thank you. I really appreciate that 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Even though I loved going to the zoo as a kid and was an avid fan of Gerald Durrell’s capturing-animals-for-zoos books I think you captured graphically the horrific plight of those entrapped creatures. Hopefully we live in more enlightened times. I remember the pacing polar bear, and also the pacing big cats.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many humans live in zoos of their own making. Pacing their lives out, gnawing on the tales of other sentient beings, buying into the cruelty of the golden cage. 🦜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Crikey. So true, but are you thinking of anyone in particular?
LikeLike
I felt this way especially so when Northampton was given the status of “New Town” and development went bonkers like fungi these housing estates popped up. The water supply was compromised. Shite, I now feel a song coming on 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡 🏠 🏡
LikeLiked by 1 person
Traditionally, humans chose to know Llareggub and willingly stay captivated by [Normal]. However, when humans see though [Normal] at the wonderful “Be kinder”, I feel it is imperative they act on that and change course or face storms of karma. I’ve seen too much karma hitting humans hard with my own eyes. It’s a bloody sad and sorry, hell of a place.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have been to zoos like this and happily the ones around me are no longer sad places. I did once see a polar cathc and eat a wayward Canada Goose who decided to rest in his enclosure. Interesting bit of nature to be sure
;;
;;
;;
Laugh, It’s just a loud smile
LikeLiked by 1 person