Philadelphia Zoo White Lioness Up Close to Glass

All that is missing from this experience is being able to hear her breathing. She was so close to the glass, and I wished I could reach through it to scratch behind her ears.

While I was there a group of school students came through. Two of the boys stopped to talk for a minute about what would likely happen if any one of us went into the exhibit. (Of course, there would be no way any visitor could actually get into the exhibit - we were just wondering how she would react if we could and did, which they wouldn't, and I wouldn't, even if we could ...)

This lioness, the one my son always called "Pointy Head", looks so gentle, it seems hard to believe that she would try to harm us. But we all agreed she probably would.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Philadelphia Zoo
• zoos
• Big Cat Falls
• lion
• lioness
• November
• Wednesday
• 2009
• autumn
• white lioness
• Pointy Head

[awesomeH2O]

I know that out of the three lionesses, two of them are paler in color: Jezebel and Vinkle. I don't know which one of the two this one is.

[ZooVisitorMM]

@awesomeH2O This is Jezebel. Vinkel now has a mane due to hormone problems associated with aging.

[awesomeH2O]

@ZooVisitorMM I know elephants can't get manes or anything like that...but if elephants have these hormone problems associated with aging, I wonder if they physically show signs.

[ZooVisitorMM]

@awesomeH2O  I really like this question (although I don't know the answer). This is the kind of interest in animals and thinking zoos can inspire (especially if they don't have all sorts of activities that distract visitors from looking at the animals while they are in the Zoo!).

[awesomeH2O]

@ZooVisitorMM Thank you. This sounds a bit strange, but I like to study how animals age and what sort of physical changes they undergo. I do know that elephants' last set of molars (they have six sets of molars and they usually last about ten years each, depending on the individual) wear down eventually and the elephant cannot eat anymore. A physical change is that the animal loses weight and eventually will starve. It may be sad, but I guess it's nature.

[ZooVisitorMM]

@awesomeH2O Your interest in how animals age does not sound strange at all.  In fact, you might want to make a career of studying it. I am sure you would contribute a lot to that sort of research.

A lot of what nature does is sad. That's why I oppose it in so many cases and wish we could find as many ways to help animals avoid its effects as we find for humans!

[awesomeH2O]

@ZooVisitorMM Do elephants have such problems as they age? (I have tried to research this, but I found nothing about it).

[ZooVisitorMM]

Thank you! All the credit goes to the lioness, of course. The closer she is, the more beautiful she looks!

[JeremyDHU]

This is a beautiful video!