Thoughts About Folsom Zoo
We went to the Folsom Zoo last Saturday for X’s 3rd birthday party, which was fun. (Thank you Bs, for providing the opportunity.)
I have ambivalent feelings about the Folsom City Zoo/Sanctuary: It contains only rescued animals, which is something I deeply respect. Most of them are native CA animals who have had one too many run-ins with humans. The zoo’s most exotic newcomers are two Siberian tigers who were rescued from a warehouse of death and cruelty in Southern California two years ago.
On the other hand, as a zoo dedicated to educating humans about the importance of humane and compassionate interaction between humans and animals, it leaves a lot to be desired—It’s really tough to see many of the animals, and seeing, I think, is the key to appreciating and honoring them. And that’s not just because they are shy or sleeping or hiding.
The way the enclosures are built at Folsom Zoo, there are multiple fences in between the zoo goers and the zoo residents. The fences are typically small-guage wire fences with rectangular holes to peek through, but sometimes there are cyclone fences behind the rectangular-hole fences. If you can imagine diamond-shaped holes layered under rectangular holes you will probably see what I’m talking about. It’s next to impossible to see many of the animals.
The zoo is modernizing, however. They have a spectacular bear enclosure with plexiglass, so you can really see the bears well. They’re working on a wolf enclosure now. The mountain lions have it pretty good too.