Good, Bad and Disgraceful

I have some very mixed feelings about what has been going on at London Zoo over the past few weeks. Let's start with something amusing. There is a new female tamandua (tree anteater), but the old girl, Tammy, is still taking her walk around the dark end of the indoor rainforest where she once found some insects and thinks she will get lucky again. Who knows what she thinks she would do with a piranha. (Yes, she has climbed up on to a handrail to take a closer look.)



There are a couple of cheetahs in temporary residence in the old tiger enclosure. It is in the old tiger enclosure, which will soon become part of the new, enlarged lion terrace. It is too small for cheetahs to be in long term.





The sloth recently had a baby. This is the first time I've been able to get a picture of it.






Sadly, however, the higher ups at the zoo have taken charge of tiger mum Melati's movements by locking her outside with her cubs. This is for the convenience of visitors. Not something a conservation organisation should be considering. One of those upset with their conduct was a woman visiting from Perth who has known Melati since her birth, and brought ZSL some photographs of the little lady in her younger days. I am martialling my strength for another attack. The keepers are not happy with wha they have been ordered to do, so the only problem with be with people like the wondrous (according to him) David Field whom I took to task over earlier tragedies he has presided over.



Melati is getting her own back, however, by taking the cubs to the most inaccessible part of her enclosure, where the existence of mesh interferes with anyone's attempts to get decent pictures. Go girl!