Gangtok, Sikkim

Gangtok is supposedly part of India, but it is not like the rest of India, so it feels like i am in a very different – more civilised and less chaotic – place. When i first arrived i didn’t spend any time in Gangtok, but just took a bus straight to Rumtek, but have been back to Gangtok a couple of times to do internet stuff and tourist stuff. One of the touristy things that i did was go to the Himalayan Zoological park. They boast that you can see these amazing animals in a semi-natural habitat, and when i bought my ticket to go in the woman behind the counter reiterated that the animals were not kept in cages, as well as the park being 2.5km long. So, as i was walking in versus driving like others, I entered with a bit of trepidation, not knowing whether i could expect a black bear to come out from behind the trees. When i reached the sign saying Black bears, i was feeling a bit more relaxed thinking that they were probably in some form of enclosure and not just roaming freely. The enclosure has a six foot concrete wall around it and is not as big as i would have imagined. I could see the two bears and the one was displaying neurotic behaviour – and although i am not an animal behaviourist, it was easy to determine the behaviour as neurotic. It kept poking its head out of its hut, then going back and continuing in that manner. When it did come out, it would only walk a few paces before returning back. The other bear was sitting in the bushes munching away.

Next was the barking dear – never saw or heard any...
Then, after a long walk with no animal enclosures i arrived at a small area which had many. This was where i met Julie – she is a common leopard. I sat with her for a while and was sooo tempted to put my fingers through the fence to stroke her fur, i had to keep reminding myself that this was a leopard and not just a pretty big cat. When the woman at the ticket counter said they were not in cages, she didn’t quite specify what her definition of cage was. This was a caged enclosure with one leopard – I felt sad for Julie, as well as the other animals that i was to come across.
The otter enclosure was home to lots of mosquito lavae and that is about all...
The red pandas (the national animal of Sikkim), were sad looking creatures also displaying neurotic behaviour. Their enclosure was like a giant swimming pool with not water, and with some trees and plants inside.
Then there were some civet enclosures – I am not sure what these animals actually are, but theirs was definitely a caged enclosure!!

Then the snow leopard! Yes they, had a snow leopard in a enclosure – it was sleeping the whole time i was there so i only got to see its back... See if you can spot the leopard in the photo...
Lastly were the Tibetan Wolves, they had 3 of these white wolves in an enclosure.
Although i am grateful for having the opportunity to see these animals, i am also torn with the sadness that they are kept in such conditions. I don’t know, i was expecting them to look happy with their lives, and to have a nice home – I suppose that would make me feel better about going to see them... but i was disappointed.

Uploading pics is taking an age, so will do so at my next stop in a few days... soz