I found myself staring at the various animals. The lion was king of the plains when it came down to it, magnificent mane catching the light as it stood majestically in its enclosure. But if we were comparing big cats to royalty then the tiger wouldn't be far behind as a prince, prowling gracefully around in its vibrant orange and black striped colouring. As a gymnast, I wanted to identify with them, the way they combined elegance with brute force. But I couldn't explain how, when I set my eyes on the animals at the other end of the enclosures, I felt some kind of desire to acquire them. More specifically, the bears. I liked the way the grizzly bear stood on its hind legs occasionally, the way it seemed built for power. The big cats had a perfect appearance, sure, but the bear wasn't showy or overly elegant. It was simple and powerful. I liked the idea of being simple but powerful. But then again, I was drawn to the big cats. I wandered over to the big cats' area, reading some of the displays informing me about them.
The jaguar looked interesting- it was sleek and while smaller than lions and tigers, it could cope with various types of terrain and didn't mind water. It also had an interesting feature- a powerful bite. Apparently it was able to bite through turtle shells. The leopard could climb trees, could run pretty fast and was stealthy. I mulled it over for a few moments before deciding that if I chose big cat, I'd go for jaguar. But the grizzly bear was calling...I had no idea which to choose.
