Personal Narrative Analysis

Over the past five years, I've gone to the zoo exactly zero times. From time to time, I wanted to, but any time I always seemed to get the urge to go in mid-January. At that point, I would just decide that a documentary on animals would fulfill my cravings. This time, however, I figured it was about time, especially being that this assignment gave me the perfect opportunity. For a while, I debated between the museum, since there are so many opportunities to learn about different subjects, but eventually settled on the zoo. I'm interested in pursuing a career that deals with the environment, and I'm in love with Evolution, so I figured that the zoo would deal with each of those aspects. It would be a great opportunity to learn about our origins

We looked at the standard zoo animals-- lions and tigers, elephants and rhinos, giraffes and zebras-- and then at more exotic animals. I learned a lot about Evolution from the Bird House and the Primate House. In fact, one of the birds, the Double-Wattled Cassowary, had many characteristics that could be found on a dinosaur: scaly legs, three-toed, and a solid bulge on the top of its head called the casque. Perhaps most enjoyable was the Primate House, where I was able to admire the effects of Evolution. Even though there were not many great apes outside, it was fascinating to watch a mother gorilla coddle her young while the father lingered nearby. Similarly, a family of monkeys rested on opposite ends of a branch, and a baby raced from one parent to the other. These animals revealed the tight bond an infant develops with his or her family, even from the youngest age, and how community is a key element in a primate’s life, just like a human. Regardless, my favorite animals were the Maned Wolf and the Red Kangaroo, particularly because I've loved wolves and kangaroos for years (although the Maned Wolf is not actually a wolf not a fox). However, I was disappointed that the Capybara and Red Panda were inside, but that just gives me a reason to visit the zoo