Ethnography

Ethnography

My group and I went to visit the L.A Zoo for our ethnography. Before my visit I was really excited on going and seeing all the animals and imagining me in the wild how in real life is, but after my visit I was just not that happy. The last time I went I think I was 6 or 7 years old and what I remember I was really exciting on going to the zoo and see all the different kinds of animals there is. I remember I got one of the wax animal’s souvenirs and I was really happy, but that was because I did not pay any attention how these animals were really living.

The zoo is a place where some of the different kinds of wild animals live. They are put in small cages and they are filled with trees and make them look like the wild. The zoo is located in the Griffith Park where there are lots of trees and mountains and feels somewhat like a zoo. The zoo was created for people like tourists, schools mostly elementary, and families come and visit. The zoo has stores that sell souvenirs for people to buy, the stores are have signs that say South Africa, and in others for people to go and see different kinds of things the store sells from that place. The zoo also contains places where you eat and refresh yourself. They also have a little tour bus where they take you around the whole zoo so that you can explore and even learn a little bit more of the animals.

Many people take their children to see all these different kinds of wild animals, even though these animals have a little place for them to live, the zoo workers try to keep their place somewhat like their natural home. Some of these animals are sleeping most of the time and others are just trying to find a way or look for a place to rest comfortable. Others give their back to the people. Makes me wonder what they might be thinking when they see all of us looking at them. Some of the children looked amazed on seeing the animals other just stare. The parents make it exciting for their children to get motivated.

The reason why I left a little unhappy from the zoo, it was because I remember of the movie Madagascar, where the lion and the zebra and the other animals wanted to leave the zoo because they knew that was not their actual place they live in. When they got to their actual wildness everything was different they had to hunt for their food and everything, they were on their own. The lion freaked out because he did not have his meat that he would always get at the zoo. So I wonder how they have these animals living. I know the zoo is for us to see how these animals live but it still got me a little upset. Other than that when I got to the zoo and we were in the zoo where there was more tree and animals around I imagine how it would really be like to live in the wildness. And of course I knew that if the lion that was sleeping wasn’t! Really sleeping then she would of attack me and my group. If the monkeys weren’t in their cages or if the snakes weren’t in theirs I would be running for my life.

Overall I found the zoo really different from the last time I went when I was a little girl. I think back then I left the zoo really happy for the fact that I had just seen wild animals but this time I went it was like oh okay I guess this how it is and this is just for the entertainment for us people to enjoy. All I know is that I really would not want to be animals like those from the zoo because those animals have no liberty.