Zoo Sadness

I always visit London Zoo whenever I am in town. But for me the incidental things one sees are as interesting as the animal exhibits. Today I photographed empty enclosures and pathways devoid of people.
 
It's always very instructive to watch how people behave when faced with real-life nature in such artificial environments, and to listen to their comments. The ignorance never ceases to appal. Here are a few examples from today's visit:

Woman in front of the glass-fronted enclosure of the exotic, beautifully coloured Congo Peafowl: "Brian! Have a look at the funny chickens!"

An American girl in her early-twenties squeals with infantile delight in the aquarium, gazing at the six-inch-long Elephant Fish: "Aw! How cute! Baby dolphins!"

An Irish family huddles along the wooden fence of the Emu enclosure. One of the teenage boys throws half a cup of coffee over the nearest bird's back to "make the fuckin' thing do something!".

A plump Goth girl zoo employee with very thick spectacles kneels by the side of a Galapagos Tortoise in its enclosure. She strokes its huge scaly legs and then its head. Whereupon, it began to elongate its neck up and out. When it was fully erect the fat girl gently gripped it around the neck and began a slow up and down motion with her hand that can only be described as masturbatory. A couple of the mothers watching this display hurriedly shepherded their kids away to less suggestive enclosures.


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