The Bamako Zoo

While I was in Bamako the last time some of us went to the zoo. When I first got to Mali I was really surprised there was a zoo, and then when i found out it was only $.10 to enter i had to go.


When you walk in, you are greated with shreaking monkeys. People had brought in peanuts to threw to the animals so we watched the monkeys catch and fight over peanuts for a bit. Then we found some donkeys in cages. The irony of donkeys in a zoo here is funny because donkeys are in every village as work animals. It would be almost the equivalent of golden labs in a zoo in America.

We also found a baby elephant. The elephant also loved when people feed it peanuts and was standing at the gate entertaning people for food. I almost had my camera eaten by the elephant while trying to take photos. All of us had a chance to pet the elephants truck. I guess i never really thought about what an elephant would feel like but they are corse and hairy. Not plesent to pet at all.

We also saw a pumba (wharthog), a lion, several panthers, hyenas, turtles, and wolves. The bamako zoo isn't really compairable to american zoo's because the cages are tiny and most of them are just concrete slabs with bars. There are not the fun, themed exhibits. So there is a general feeling of depression coming from the animals.

I however really enjoyed the zoo. Despite the fact that the animal cages are small you were allowed to get right up there and pet the animals. Even the panther cage i could have stuck my hand in, if i wanted. But this gave a real chance to see the animals. A lot of time in American zoos you search for the animal and only get to see it from far away.