Fantasy Pet

If I had a large apartment or a house in the countryside, I would like to have a fantasy pet... a tiger. I call it a "fantasy pet" because we all know the danger of having such a large animal ( up to 300kg and 3.3 meters long ) with killer instincts. After graduating with an Associates Degree in graphic design, I volunteered to create a website for a wildlife refuge named Prairie Wind, in Colorado (USA). I designed their logo ( at left ) and a few simple pages containing the photos on this page.


When I drove many miles to reach Prairie Wind for the first time and meet the manager, I had my first encounter with a tiger. I couldn't believe just how close visitors were allowed to the cages. The photo at right was taken with a camera with a fixed focal point ( no zoom lens ). When I walked past the this huge Siberian tiger, I saw his eyes follow me. It was pretty scary...no... very scary ! It looked so peaceful basking in the sun. But I knew the power this mighty animal had, so I kept my distance.


I think I also found the "fantasy job": walking tiger cubs ( see left photo ). This girl had these tiger cubs on a leash and let them wander around the compound for short periods of time. Often the tiger cubs were leading her !

Perhaps the most amazing thing I saw was when the girl entered the tiger cubs' cage to feed them. It looked a bit dangerous, but the cubs didn't pay much attention to her. I guess they were used to her doing this everyday at the same time. The cubs seemed more interested with what was going on outside their cage. The Siberian tiger is the largest of all tigers. Their heads and paws are enormous. If they were vegetarian, I would love to gently hug them. Can you imagine walking anywhere with this animal by your side? Instant respect !


▼▽▼▼【講師】Rob先生のバックナンバー━━━━━━━━

・【Cold. A good time to start talking about it.】2009.09.25 (Fri)