Six Things You Learn From the Zoo

1. The animals are smarter than most of the guests.

I won't put up a picture since some people don't like bugs, but I passed a board with the shape of a beetle on it, made entirely of pinned beetle specimens.

While standing there, I heard someone ask in all seriousness, "Are those alive?"

Yes, zoo staff and PETA are totally cool with bugs being impaled on pins and dying slowly for days, weeks, years... you had to wonder how new he thought this (clearly old) board was.

2. The sea lions are surprisingly fun. I thought they'd be boring, but they get irritated at everything and roar all the time. Plus, it's obvious they're actively being trained by zoo personnel because they'd come up to the glass and do tricks for their audience before realizing they wouldn't get fed and then zooming off in a huff.

TREEEEEEAAAAAATTTTSSSSS

3. The gorilla house is creepy. I know they live a lot longer and more comfortably in captivity, but dang, anything with eyes that intelligent makes me think of alien overlords shoving us in zoos.

4.  No matter your place on the food chain, you are capable of turning into a troll.

Picture I took of a zebra trolling the cheetahs. "WHO'S TOP OF THE FOOD
CHAIN NOW, HUH?!"

5. There are some awesome parents in the world.

Small child: "The stupid cat isn't moving. I want it to do stuff! Be interesting!"

Awesome parent: "Yes, that is totally how animals work."

6. Actually, there are just some awesome people in the world. You haven't lived until you've heard an audience of 40-odd people pretend that the asian elephant is in a race from one side of the enclosure to the other. "Come on, elephant! You can do it! Yeahhhhh, come on, we're all rooting for you! So close elephant, so close, YOU DID IT! GO YOU, ELEPHANT!"