While visiting my parents in Milton, Florida, we often like to drive to Navarre Beach, which also has a small, close-up-and-personal zoo, where the animals are usually within arm's reach and there is opportunity to notice intriguing and fascinating details about them.We were not dissapointed on this visit, except for the fact, that this was after the hurricane that struck Pensacola in 2004. We arrived about 2 weeks after the hurricane, and for many of the animals, such as the lions, that week was the first time they had been able to come outside, because of the damage sustained to the zoo and the enclosures.
There was alot of flooding and tree and fence damage. The lions, 2 females and a male were in a grouchy mood, so we were within 2 feet of snarling, lunging, angry lions.....and the noise and tension were huge! What was even more disarming, was that we were standing on a sliver of concrete, wedged between a chain link fence that enclosed a leopard, and this chain link fence that seperated (by less than 12") another chain link fence that contained the 3 snarling lions! There were a few moments there that the few who were standing so close, had that 'get the hell outta there!' feeling! But we also didn't want to miss such a rare and special moment, too.
In one of the pics you can see Jackson & Jeremiah looking sad, while in front of a peacock. They were very sad for all the animals that had lost their homes, or been hurt or killed because of the hurricane. They were very sensitive to wat they saw and experience while at the zoo and in Florida. The damage was shocking and quite impressive to all of us.
