Playing Ball At The Denver Zoo

I went to the Denver Zoo this past Wednesday afternoon, and couldn't help but notice that a number of animals were playing with balls of various sizes. No doubt this is part of the zoo's plan to get the animals more involved in sports, in order to keep them in shape. Joona, the 2 year old rhino in the photograph on the left, seems very enthusiatic about the whole thing, although I am not sure what kind of game that ball is used for. The rhino's mother, Tensing, can be seen giving Joona a puzzled look. I overheard a docent tell a group of zoo visitors that Tensing wanted to be a mother, but since there was no suitable male rhino around, she consented to artificial insemination, a process that took 4 years. She said the zoo never does anything the animal does not want to do. And just who at the zoo speaks rhino? Perhaps I just misheard.

Kumani and her 7 month old baby mandrill Akali are also deep into some sort of ball game, although once again, I am not sure what that game might be. And I have to say that baby Akali seems just as interested in eating as in the game, which is also true of Colorado Rockies baseball fans when they attend a game at Coors Field. Of course, Rockies fans are also interested in drinking beer, which I suspect mandrills are not. But then again, mandrills don't have to watch the Rockies play baseball.