Over on Suman Latik:

Because we had gotten to know the trainers and caretakers, I was able to go around back to see the tigers and lions. Not just see them as they were being fed, but see a tiger nuzzle its trainer (who took care of him since he was a cub), including close its mouth on her hand (or was it her neck????).  Scary… but the tiger was really very gentle.

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When you speak to the handlers and trainers, you know they’ve grown attached to the animals. It is no longer just a job for them. Being with the animals has become their life. Yes, there is always danger because no matter how you try to “domesticate” them, they still have the instincts of the wild. But for as long as they do not feel threatened, for as long as they know the humans around them mean no harm, they are not going to demonstrate “beastly” behavior.

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Because they do serve a purpose. While it may not be their natural habitat, to see a real live tiger, hippo or elephant is an eye-opener. Children and even adults are often in awe even when they just see these animals at a distance. But they are real, living and breathing. And the opportunity is there to educate humans about animals. How they live. What they eat. How they behave. And how they relate.

Read more over at Suman Latik: Manila Zoo Memories!