... A zookeeper once told me that Hippos like to swim in their own shit. He said: "

You can clean it all up, but only five minutes later all is full of shit again

". It's a camouflage thing, apparently ... - he said. In that case, the small pool certainly helps ...

If I was in a better mood, I'd add a witty comment to this picture. But I'm not, so I won't.
Here is another image instead ...

Meerkats

... at least

they

always seem to be in good spirits (and never bored).
As long as there is enough food, all is fine.

P.S.: To be fair, the people working there (at least, those that I actually encountered and/or talked to) all seemed quite ...

tolerable

. I even got a few honest smiles, which is always nice ... and such a rare thing these days. Maybe not all is lost ...

I generally cannot bear the sight of animals in cages. Call it

empathy

or just

neurotic projection

, but I can't look at it for too long without starting to cry.
 

Maybe it's because I know what it's like to be imprisoned.

The last time I visited this zoo was … well, it was many years ago. I was little, and everything seemed bigger. But even back then, the only thing I really liked about this place was that 30-something meter playground-slide they had.
 
It was a really good slide.
 

You may think it silly that I emphasise this, but good slides - or playgrounds for that matter - are a rare thing. Especially these days, when most of them (if not all) are designed by people, who have probably never been to a single playground in their entire childhood.

Anyway,

the slide is gone now

. I asked.

I was taken to the

zoo

. It was

depressing

.

 
It was a cold December day. The sky was cloudy and grey, the ground was wet, and the place was nearly

deserted

. -- That was the

good

part.

They still have

elephants

too. It's still their main attraction. It's also still the same cage.