A day at the Zoo

Until I get there, I never remember how much I love the zoo. I know there's a whole Peta-sized group out there who argues that it's inhumane to cage these wild animals. And in truth, a couple of them looked like they were a little bit stir crazy. (One of the black bears spent countless minutes facing a rock wall and circling his head counterclockwise.)
But if it weren't for the zoo, I would only know a tiger from photographs and video on National Geographic specials. (Do they even have those any more?)The same is true for a red panda. And a gorilla. And an elephant. And... and... and... .
And pandas, rhinos, orangutans, and other endagered animals might have a chance to survive our destruction only with the help of a zoo or two. If only there had been conservation programs in place to help the thylacine I mentioned last week. Or any of these:

• Lake Mackay Hare-wallaby (1932, Australia)
• Desert Rat-kangaroo (1935, Australia)
• Crescent Nailtail Wallaby (1956, Australia)
• Red-bellied Gracile Opossum (1962, Argentina)
• North African Elephant (North Africa)
• Sturdee's Pipistrelle (2000, Japan)
• Pyrenean Ibex (2000, Pyrenees)
• Caribbean Monk Seal (1952, Jamaica)
• Bali Tiger (1940s, Bali)
• Japanese Wolf (1930s, Japan)
• Mexican grizzly bear (1960s, Mexico)
• Caspian Tiger (1970s, Tajikistan)
• Javan Tiger (1976, Java)
• Quagga (1883, South Africa)
• Tarpan (1919, Eurasia)