Living creatures as pawns

A Singapore post from home. Been home a week actually!

My last two days were pretty good. As I'd said, we'd got Greg married off to Cheryl and didn't have to hold either of them down. That was over the weekend. My last two days were spent chillin' with my sister. She took half days off and we went to Underwater World one day and Singapore Zoo the next.

For someone who is as cynical and critical as I am, I can be naive and innocent as well. I don't know where I got the idea that modern day housing of living creatures are beneficial to the species, educational and in the direction of conservation. I think it's in the happy little world of my own.

Underwater World on Sentosa Island was a tourist trap. Should have realised that since Sentosa is a tourist trap. The tanks and ponds are overcrowded, badly designed and in a single word, crap. I don't know why I expected it to be like the aquaria in Perth. Maybe it was more in hope. The sensationalisation that it had the most sand tiger sharks of any aquaria might be true but all I saw was a bunch of small sand tigers crammed together in a space way too small. The underwater walkway here is small, shallow and compartmentalised. And when you see rubbish like plaster simulations of underwater ruins you have to know it's complete bollocks. There might have been a pirates treasure chest as well. Another lasting vision is the one of the coconut robber crab. It was in a space where it could move one and a half feet left and that's if it were on the right side of the tank. Maybe three inches forwards and backwards.

This bloody place should be renamed, "If It Dies - We'll Just Replace It!"

My ideal that all nature parks, zoos and aquaria have the working philosophy of educating the public, maintaining the animals, research and conservation has pretty much blown up in my face. This place is all about tha munny. All exits ensure everyone goes through the souvenir shops.

I have no idea what KLCC's aquaria is like. Maybe I'm just scared to find out.

The next day, sis and I went to Singapore Zoo. This place I like. It isn't perfect but it's on the other end of the scale compared to the bloody Underwater World. It's lovely. So much green all around. Grand old trees and so much natural life around. It seemed that it wasn't only the zoo's animals on display. The trees were full of birds, native and migratory, and every piece of water had fish in it. My sister is an avid bird watcher and I'm a fish kinda guy so it was bonus time. It makes me wonder though about people in general. That the zoo has to put up signs saying "Do NOT touch the Arapaima. They may bite." The Arapaima is the world's largest freshwater fish. Someone trying to touch a fish which is six feet long, torpedo shaped, feeds by the implosion method and has a mouth full of teeth must be trying to impress his girlfriend or his wee gay person. Yes, his. That's the wonderful thing about being female. Males do stupid things even when they know it's stupid 'cos their egos are saying "do it you pansy!".

Not all the animal enclosures are best suited to their occupants. Can't really blame the zoo I guess. The lions did look out of place padding about on rumput lembu. This is so easily forgivable because the zoo has research and breeding programs. It's still not much space but effort is put into utilising the space for the needs of the occupants. Zoos charge tourist prices but at least here I know the money is needed for maintaining the zoo and the other stuff you don't see in the foreground.

We spent hours at the zoo, leaving only nearing closing time when some animals were already being put in their night pens. It was a far cry of seeing everything in an hour and leaving the place muttering, "tourist trap".

I've been to Sentosa. First time since 1983. I need never go again.

Visit the zoo though. It's worth it. See, listen, smell, observe, learn and appreciate.