Lions and Tigers and whatever
September 18, 2009 (Friday)
I have written this week about egrets, raccoons, and squirrels. My son, Dwight, jokingly said, "So, you've become a wildlife enthusiast, have you?" O.K., so I forgot to write about the lions, and tigers, and bears. Oh, no!
Actually, I remember a special day when my Uncle Lloyd took me to the old Buffalo Stadium in Houston to see the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus with its lions and tigers and bears. Oh, yes!
We got there early and watched the circus crews unload the special train. That circus was famous for its "Big Top," a huge tent that housed three rings and lots of seating. The canvass was unloaded, then unrolled, then lifted upon giant poles. Watching them get ready for the first show was as entertaining as the acts themselves.
Elephants were indispensable in the process. They were true experts with ropes and tents. Of course their handlers were guiding them and giving them orders, but they obviously knew what to do. Not only would they entertain the crowds later, but they were a vital part of the crew that prepared it all.
Later when the show was presented, three shows simultaneously in the three rings, I saw the lions and tigers obediently sitting where the trainer ordered them with the crack of his whip. Later came the horses, each in splendid regalia, with colorful garments. One of the side shows was the display of "Gargantua," the giant gorilla, fearsome then but in light of what we know about gorillas today, imprisoned and mistreated.
The animals were only part of the show, but they were a major part of it, serving as workers and entertainers. Just one more way that the richness of God's creation makes our own lives a little richer.
The movie, "Planet of the Apes," turns the tables and presents apes as rulers and humans as ignorant slaves. That will never happen, but maybe such stories will help us see wild animals as a necessary part of the world that deserves our respect.