Save the Pandas!

"Is it dead?"
"No, no, I think it's just sleeping"

It's never a good sign if, at a zoo, you're are constantly left to wonder if the animals are, in fact, alive. Our day at the Beijing Zoo was overall pretty depressing. We were shocked at how lackluster the animals' habitats were. The spaces for the the Lions and Tigers in the Cat house were fours walls of cement enclosed by metal bars--something more akin to a jail cell than a space suited for an animal.

The majority of cages and habitats were neglected and unkempt; there was rotting food and litter scattered the cement and dirt. The cages were poorly ventilated, and on the 100+ degree day the animals looked so hot they couldn't bear to move.

The overwhelming lack of respect for the well-being of the animals became clear to us soon after arriving. Where glass separated animals from the onlookers, parents would join their kids in banging on the windows to get the animals' attention (likely the cause of the many broken and cracked windows we encountered throughout the day). While looking from above at the hippos cooling off in the murky water, we watched in utter shock as people thrw their trash in the pool without a second thought.

We walked around for a bit, but couldn't stand the heat or the condition of the zoo any longer.

The only fond memory of the day was when I got to sit next to a very well-behaved chimpanzee to pose for a souvenir photo. The way the trainer (pictured left) interacted with the chimp made me hopeful that there was at least one animal at the Beijing Zoo getting the attention it deserved.