David B

Charming photo =)

I've never been a fan of zoos.... Even though I live in NYC with the world-famous Bronx Zoo --- along with quite a few others --- nearby, I've only been to it once as a kid. I love animals, but it makes me so sad to see them in cages, behind glass walls, in artificial enclosures.... Rather than enjoy their beauty, I end up just feeling sad for them. It may be due, in part, to the amt. of traveling I've done in my lifetime which gave me many opportunities to see so many beautiful creatures running free in the wild.... I don't know.... But even as a child, my main feeling about the zoo wasn't one of wonder or joy, but of sadness for the animals. Where it all stemmed from, I have no idea, but it's always been that way....

I was fortunate to have grown up with grandparents in my life who literally still lived off the land in Europe..... I'm talking no indoor plumbing, outhouses, and barns ;) My parents and I lived in the city, but I frequently got dropped off in the country for weeks at a time to run and play with chickens and ducks ... Heck, I could ride a horse before I could run without falling on my face ;) Once we moved to the US {NYC}, we always took vacations or day trips out to national parks and such places. Eventually we bought a vacation home in the mts. of PA, too, and then spent many weekends -- sometimes weeks -- out there hiking and just enjoying the natural world. I actually feel more at home in the woods with no one around but singing birds than in cities among people.... Always have.... For me, going to a national park or hiking out in the middle of some forest somewhere isn't just a vacation, it's like going home again after a long absence....

I agree, most people have lost all touch with the "real" world. They no longer understand the importance of living things thriving in balance. Everything in the natural world is so out-of-whack because of human irresponsibility. They would rather create fake environments and stuff poor creatures into it than connect with those animals where they are at their most beautiful and wild and free.... They tell themselves lies about it all being about conservation and education... But then don't change their behavior to preserve rather than destroy the places where the free cousins of those animals could live. Irresponsibly destroying the natural world while, still irresponsibly, breeding animals -- often through unnatural, if not torturous, procedures --- that would have no place to live in their native habitats anyway.... They "conserve" them to a doomed existence in captivity.... Most animals have an innate, deeply ingrained, fear of "man".... There is no way a lion, bear, etc. is comfortable being surrounded, poked and prodded by people and dealing with their squealing, screaming brats every day of their lives. But zoos have become big businesses and, in the world of "man" cash "cows" aren't treated very humanely.... Just look at all the ridiculous, unnatural hybrids zoos have been creating under the guise of conservation and education --- tigon, ligers, zonkeys, white tigers & lions, etc.... Most of those animals spend their whole existence suffering painful effects of their unnatural hybridization.... Not to mention the stresses put on them to be paraded around on leashes and chains. How can any animal still retaining some semblance of wildness be anything but miserable? And how they get away with uncontrolled breeding of animals in the name of conservation whose native habitats are completely gone or wouldn't support them anymore -- or has been a war zone for generations already with no end in site -- just boggles the mind. Besides that, animals born into captivity have very little chance of survival even if reintroduction were possible. They cannot learn survival skills needed from a parents/parents who've existed in captivity their whole lives.... It's been tried and failed dismally in thousands of trials.... The animals generally suffering horrendous deaths in the process. In most cases, I think extinction would be the better alternative to existence in the human world... The case of the wolves reintroduced in North America will soon become a prime example... They were reintroduced, adapted, & over generations become truly wild again.... They've been so successful that they are now being hunted once again as they have expanded ranges outside of protected areas. Where's the success in that?

I own show horses.... They're such a good example of free vs. wild.... We show them no more than half the year and much of the rest they spend running free.... Now, we don't force showing on them... They truly love to perform, but they also luv their freedom... When they come back from the show circuits to their home base in the Catskill Mts., the first thing they do when let loose in their fields is roll around in the grass -- if there's no grass, mud will do in a pinch ;) These are high priced, well-bred horses --- Arabians, Andalusians, Friesians --- which are magnificent show jumpers, dressage performers; all admired for their grace and beauty in the show ring.... But set them free to do what they do naturally and that's where they are truly the most beautiful.... We also maintain a herd of wild -- truly wild, never broken -- horses we've rescued from slaughter auctions to give back to these beautiful animals that, in today's world, get so few chances to just be wild and free -- granted, we do geld & spay except for the herd stallion for responsible management & to allow for more rescues....

Anyway, short story long ;).... I agree that people, for the most part, have lost their connection not just to the natural world, but, often, to reality as a whole.... These fake concrete jungles with manicured hybrid lawns and neatly, artificially, pruned non-native plants are a farce.... Throw a one-week black-out at these "societies" and you'll really find out just how out of balance humanity has devolved to be... =D

Thank you, Remmeltmojet, I'm glad you like the photos. It is wonderful to hear that you and Fizgig were able to avoid living the city life. It's been a blessing for us to have left our careers and home in the city, and start a new life for ourselves on our little homestead. I guess we grew tired of living in our own man-made zoo. ;o)

The horses sound wonderful, Fizgig! The focus for us is on self sustainability. So, we're raising chickens, for both eggs and meat, and plan to get into milking goats in the next year. We'd also like to get ourselves a donkey, at some point down the road.

We free range our chickens, but I ensure that they are well protected at night and cozy in the winter. Letting them go and find their own food (of course I do supplement their diets with local grain) not only saves on the feed bill, but ensures that the birds are healthy and the eggs and meat we get from them are highly nutritious, too. Better than what you can get at any grocery store, to say the least!

We just love and appreciate our birds so much. I can spend hours a day, just sitting there amongst them and watching them go about their business. They are so entertaining. And they all have their own personalities and mannerisms; it's quite amazing.

David.