An Afternoon at the Skopje Zoo

Skimming over my previous entries in this blog, I have to wonder if people ever ask themselves, “Does Ben ever do anything just for fun when he travels? Is he always so…intense?”

Yes, it’s true. I don’t shy away from the dark and uncomfortable when I visit a world capital. You’re more likely to find me at a concentration camp memorial or a rebellious contemporary art exhibit than tanning on the beach or sitting by the pool, mai tai in hand. I’m not afraid to discuss politics with locals (and by discuss, I mean they do the talking and I do the listening and absorbing); a nation’s history, culture, geography and economy will always be more interesting to me than going shopping or lounging around the bar of a five-star hotel.

But of course I sometimes need to take a break from all that and there’s one thing I love more than history, art, politics combined: animals. As my dad likes to remind me, ever since I was a young child, I loved animals. I have been a vegetarian for over twenty years and believe that the company of animals is often preferable to the company of humans!

Enter the Skopje Zoo. Built in 1926, this small, urban zoo is home to over 500 animals and 85 different species. The zoo didn’t exactly have the best reputation over the years (poor conditions; enclosures that were too small), but in 2010, large sums of money were pumped into the institution allowing them to renovate 85% of the exhibits. The animals now appear to be active and playful and the zoo’s popularity has rebounded over the past decade. I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon of fun at the zoo, so without any other chatter of serious matters, here are some cute animal photos to show the doubters that I do have a lighter side too.