Hoogle Zoo

When my dear friend Muthu suggested this option for a Sunday afternoon outing, I just ridiculed him by saying, "Who would go to a ZOOOOO???" Finally, as usual losing a majority, I decided to (rather reluctantly) visit the Animal Kingdom. I went out with my dear friends and found myself thoroughly enjoying the drive. It was fall in Salt Lake City and those colorful leaves were one of the most pleasant sights to the eyes.

We arrived at the entrance of the zoo and I found myself saying - "It was not bad after all". But it so happened that by the time I came out of the zoo, I was telling "My my, it was such a worthy spot to visit and enjoy an afternoon". So what made that boring option turn out to be an incredibly dulcet visit? It was the way the zoo itself was maintained and the close encounters with those fellow animals, (I was a bio student, and I consider Homo sapiens as part of the Animal Kingdom!) that changed my perception of zoos.
The rhinos feed so close, such that you almost touch their horns - except that there is a thick mirror that separates you from its horn! You can see the giraffe that comes close to you and eat, thereby giving you all the time in this world to admire its beauty at close encounters. A cabin filled with butterflies, some scenic wooden bridges over a stream, wilderness in fall all made the zoo a very admiring place.

Last, but certainly not the least, there was this toy train ride that shows the important spots of the zoo. It so happened that I was collecting various colored leaves and I was about to board the toy train. The train driver saw me holding the leaves and voluntarily got me a plastic cover to save my botanical masterpieces! His thoughtfulness and altruistic nature (come on - it was a help without even asking for - shouldn't I not use the word altruism?) made me feel so emotionally filled with happiness.

The wonderful way the animals were treated in the zoo, made me feel proud to belong to a race which tries to protect God's other creations. Hoogle zoo is one of the great places in SLC to spend a worthwhile afternoon.

With more thoughts…