The Omaha ZOO

At last I was able to find a while – despite the tight schedule – to visit for a few hours the famous Omaha ZOO. As many things in the USA, the ZOO, too, has to be large (at least) or the largest in the world (that sounds much better). And that’s why the Omaha ZOO: “features the largest cat complex in North America; ‘Kingdoms of the Night’ is the world’s largest nocturnal exhibit and indoor swamp; the ‘Lied Jungle’ is one of the world’s largest indoor rainforest, and the ‘Desert Dome’ is the world’s largest indoor desert, as well as the largest glazed geodesic dome in the world.

All that makes a huuuge impression. Especially the nocturnal exhibit – I’ve seen and sensed it for the first time in my life (because everything mimicked the “natural” – the surroundings, the smell and the temperature).

But I liked best the orangutangs’ place. I felt completely at home there. The “father” was sitting aside, lost in his thoughts, the “mother” collected the scraps of materials scattered along the whole enclosure, empty bowls, tubs and other bits and pieces, every now and then brought it to a small pond and “washed” all that stuff. The “children” were hiding under a piece of material the size of a tablecloth, and then rolling on the floor, losing the material on their way. Just the sight of a normal family. To tell the truth, the “normality” maybe lacked the remote control in one of the “father’s” hands, and the tin with some good beverage in the other, but I had no doubt who was wearing the trousers in that family.

Although it was not that “normal” as it seemed. She wasn’t screaming at him that he was sitting around and doing nothing, and above all, not helping her in anything, and the kids didn’t get an earful for playing with the tablecloth. And the “husband”, not asked to do so, slid down on the ropes to be closer to “his wife” laundering and was watching her from the branch right above her.

Maybe it would be good to go to the ZOO? And reset your settings…

Fr. Jay