Nuturing biodiversity
Last weekend I took my Grandson Luka to the Monarto Zoo. This is a 1000 hectare pen-range sanctuary undertaking a major role nationally and internationally in breeding programs for rare and endangered species.
It was wonderful. We started out with a 90 minute drive in a safari bus though the entire park. The trip included lions, bison, cheetah, Mongolian horses, zebras, lots of African grazing animals, both black and white rhinoceroses (all brown really), hyenas, African painted dogs, a large giraffe herd and the entire place is part of the largest revegetation project of it’s kind in South Australia’s history! We saw a two week old white rhino and a three week old baby giraffe – and much more. Apparently giraffe give birth standing up on their very long legs and the babies emerge head first to land in a heap on the ground.
We had lunch and surrounded by all these wonderful animals, when Luka (aged 3+) had his face painted he wanted to be Spiderman! I thought after being 3 feet from a cheetah he would choose that or a lion but no – it had to be Spiderman.
We also went for a camel ride which was fun. I was fascinated by how soft the came’s coat was on my bare leg. At one stage Luka kicked his foot and the camel turned around and looked at him. He had not thought about kicking her and was very surprised to be looked at. A useful lesson in consideration.
The role large zoos like Monarto have in preserving biodiversity with its important role in the worldwide endangered species breeding programs in enormous and they have a wonderful record or breeding, exchanging with other zoos and returning animals to the wild.
There is also a very important role in educating our kids to value the diversity of life. It was a wonderful day and we were both exhausted. When we got home he drew me a picture of a hippopotamus which were not there but animals were on his mind. He told me today that there are lots of different sorts of “reindeer” all over the world which I guess is a fairly informed preschooler view of the wonderful diversity of horned grazing animals.
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