More random rememberings on animals in Asia:
Virtually the only cats that we saw in India were Temple Cats. The spotted barking deer roamed freely on the banks of the polluted river in Chennai. The working camels of Agra and elephants of Thailand and Sri Lanka reminded me of the working cows of New England.
The inmate primate in the Chennai Zoo sits in harsh contrast to the free roaming street monkeys in Shimla, and also the well tended chimp, marsupila, and baboon that we saw in the stunning rainforest-modeled Singapore Zoo.
The babies in the Sri Lanka turtle hatchery are so fragile and reliant on the protection of kind water spirits. The zebras in Singapore are magnificent beauties.
I think perhaps the greatest gift of my time in Asia was the freedom to spend some daylight time out-of-doors, exploring my world and not trapped in an office. I think that these beautiful beings, most met in brief encounters, remind me of that gift and have inspired me hang onto that freedom.