Wild Wild Kansas

Photos by Evan Anderson

Kansas is a wild place….I’m talking wild, with gorillas, flamingos, hippos, turtles and chiggers….yup, grass has chiggers…if you don’t know what that is then I’m willing to bet $75 you’re not from Kansas!

Wild! I’m talking safari wild…they’re running around everywhere, 365 days a year like they own Wichita….and for $14 you can pretend you are friends at the Sedgwick County Zoo :).

I have a love/hate relationship with Zoos. On one hand I love them because of the knowledge, exposure and informational quality they provide….I mean when was the last time you had a stare down with the hippo or high-fived a gorilla, but then again at what cost is this to an animal? To be caged in an environment that is not your own, do they know better? perhaps, and perhaps not. But if you were caged eventually I’m sure you would realize, “Damn I might not know any better but I know that this sucks“.

Animals are incredible creatures, physiology and all. They are a great depiction of evolution and I think we learn so much from being able to see and watch them behave and for the lucky ones, to touch and feel them. Do I feel smarter after visiting the zoo…kind of. Nothing beats the opportunity to experience something yourself– which is on another level than looking at pictures of the animal, especially if you are a visual learner. We’re fortunate to do that, especially at this zoo, since it is one of the largest zoos in the U.S, with about 2,500 different animals, 500 of which are different species from across the world. Crayyyy-zzzzzy!

But with all its glory and beauty and educational flare, I can’t help but feel uneasy when I see penguins waddling around in Kansas…well actually a $1.3 million dollar installment they built to mimic the Humboldt penguins natural habitat….good use of money? You tell me….