Written Journal #10: Fort Worth Zoo

For my last blog, I decided to travel to the Fort Worth Zoo. I chose the zoo because of the amazing wildlife and biodiversity that is preserved at the park. I believe the zoo is a fantastic way for people who don't normally have the opportunity to adventure into the wilderness to get an experience of their own. From a young age, I was always fascinated by the different kinds of wildlife at the zoo. Back home in San Diego, we also have one of the more notable zoos in America. I remember spending birthdays with friends and being amazed by the giant creatures that gazed upon me. 

There are various things to observe while spending a day at the zoo. Personally, I enjoy the sounds of the wildlife and the way they interact with each other. It seems that every time you visit there is something new and out of the ordinary. This time around, I was amazed to see a mother elephant playing with her calf. It is stunning how protective elephants are of their youth. Later in the day, I ventured over to the mountain lion exhibit. Mountain lions are ferocious creatures with the ability to run at insanely high speeds. Watching the lions prowl around their exhibit was intimidating. It reminded me of my cat from back home who loves prowling around the backyard. I learned from our previous class discussions, specifically the Aldo Leopold reading, that these predatory species are vital to the health of our ecosystems. Without them, it would disturb the delicate balance of nature and cause other species to experience significant loss. 

I decided to follow the zoo on social media about a month ago. Since then I’ve been amazed at their dedication to restoring and conserving the local environment.  One example is when they hatched and released 460 endangered Texas horned lizards back into the wild. Learning about this was fascinating. Not often is the mascot of the local university being actively preserved by the city. It definitely made me proud to be a horned frog.







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