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bein' alive
Mar. 7th, 2022 10:14 pmtalking with the gf again tonight made me think of one of my fondest, most vivid memories being unmistakably stalked by tigers.
let me back up:
mom and I were puttering around a cool "big cat rescue" as a field trip (her being an ex-biology teacher, she always made a point to take me out on field trips to museums and zoos and shit). this particular one was pretty well done and (as far as I could tell) ethical/humane if a little low budget. there was a part where tourists could walk on a teeny tiny narrow path with big-ass chain link fences to the sides between two big squares of open uhhh, grass/scattered woods where the tigers were. you went to one end, turned around, walked back, and hopefully saw a tiger on the other side of the chain link fence.
the funny thing was, when I rolled up, I was on my (accessibility) scooter - and the reaction was immediate.
those tigers zoomed right up to the fence as soon as they heard/saw me, rather disconcerningly like how a housecat jams their nose up against a window when watching a bird, you know? If I rolled up a foot or two, they stalked along at the exact pace. if I stopped, they stopped. (at this point the tourists around me were having more fun watching the tigers react to me than anything else LOL. I would too.)
but man, that sensation of having multiple, fully grown tigers laser-focused on me was ... exhilarating.
still not sure if it was a scooter whine that they could hear that humans couldn't, or if it was the totally alien "motion" of the roll vs humans walking. needless to say, there was something wordlessly ...animalistic ... (not fear, what with the chain link fences; they didn't try to jump), but very much primally aware at that whole moment of a few-hundred pound apex predators and their focus. Like you didn't want to breathe or retreat or look away or show vulnerability. but there was such simple beauty in it too.
there's a part of me that'll chase that sensation for as long as I live.
(ironically not the same story as me accidentally petting a very live, somewhat awake tiger as a ~6 year old as part of a college football game back in the 90's when shit was considerably more relaxed. what is it with me and tigers, we just don't know LOL)
let me back up:
mom and I were puttering around a cool "big cat rescue" as a field trip (her being an ex-biology teacher, she always made a point to take me out on field trips to museums and zoos and shit). this particular one was pretty well done and (as far as I could tell) ethical/humane if a little low budget. there was a part where tourists could walk on a teeny tiny narrow path with big-ass chain link fences to the sides between two big squares of open uhhh, grass/scattered woods where the tigers were. you went to one end, turned around, walked back, and hopefully saw a tiger on the other side of the chain link fence.
the funny thing was, when I rolled up, I was on my (accessibility) scooter - and the reaction was immediate.
those tigers zoomed right up to the fence as soon as they heard/saw me, rather disconcerningly like how a housecat jams their nose up against a window when watching a bird, you know? If I rolled up a foot or two, they stalked along at the exact pace. if I stopped, they stopped. (at this point the tourists around me were having more fun watching the tigers react to me than anything else LOL. I would too.)
but man, that sensation of having multiple, fully grown tigers laser-focused on me was ... exhilarating.
still not sure if it was a scooter whine that they could hear that humans couldn't, or if it was the totally alien "motion" of the roll vs humans walking. needless to say, there was something wordlessly ...animalistic ... (not fear, what with the chain link fences; they didn't try to jump), but very much primally aware at that whole moment of a few-hundred pound apex predators and their focus. Like you didn't want to breathe or retreat or look away or show vulnerability. but there was such simple beauty in it too.
there's a part of me that'll chase that sensation for as long as I live.
(ironically not the same story as me accidentally petting a very live, somewhat awake tiger as a ~6 year old as part of a college football game back in the 90's when shit was considerably more relaxed. what is it with me and tigers, we just don't know LOL)
