After we had our fill of the snow sculptures we were off the Polar Land. It is an aquarium with largely polar animals. We found it a little depressing and didn't spend too much time. The fish exhibits were interesting but the mammals didn't have enough space or anyway to be outside. Most of them were circling in their small cages. There were two polar bears swimming in a very small tank. They just bearly had enough room to turn around. We enjoyed the fish and Noah liked the sharks and we went on our way. The thing I found most depressing it is a new aquarium, only built in 2006 so clearly the American view on trying to give animals in captivity an environment close to what they have in the wild doesn't hold here!
We were then onto the Siberan tiger reserve. Quite an experience! You get on a small bus and ride out into a large field (990,000 square meters) that in fenced off into different sections. The tigers are just roaming around and don't pay too much attention to the bus. There are only about 50-60 siberan tigers left in the wild but there are over 700 at the reserve! As far as I can tell they aren't doing anything to reintroduce them to the wild. Nobody could answer that question for me! Anyhow you are given the option to buy a live chicken for 40 yuan (about 6 dollars). We did and before we knew it a jeep type vehicle came into the section we were in. It was enclosed in a metal cage. It pulled up in front of our bus. The tigers swarmed the car-definitely knew it meant lunch. The driver opend his door and threw a chicken onto the roof of the car. Instantly a tiger jumped up on top of the car and grabbed the chicken. He ran off away from the group to defeather and eat his lunch. It all happened so fast and with no struggle on the chicken's part. It was much less disturbing than I feared it would be! At the ticket counter their had been a menu of all the animals you could purchase, ranging from a chicken to a sheep to a cow! Thomas was all for buying a cow but at 250 dollars and the potential for being very disturbing we declined! Only in China!
Lunch!
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