by Ruth Greb

Created on: July 04, 2007

As a person who loves animals, both domestic and wild, I love a vacation that includes being where the animals are. On a recent trip to Louisiana we went on a bayou trip to see the animals that live in the swamp. I was hoping to see some snakes, but there were none on this trip but we did see some alligators. Some were small, some medium sized and one was very large. It is important to not test your luck with these guys as they are dangerous. The man who ran the boat is used to the animals in the swamp and fed them chicken which is good for them so they would come to the edge of the boat for pictures. It would not be wise to feed them yourself as they might also take your hand. The boat man had the chicken strung on a kind of a fishing pole since he was well aware that the animal could be eager to eat more than the chicken. Taking a swamp tour is a safe way to see these animals in their natural habitat.

On the same trip, we were in Florida and managed to see a young armadillo. He came out of the brush and wandered around our feet. We did not touch him or feed him but just enjoyed his presence. I have seen lots of dead armadillo's along the highway in Texas and Florida but never had I seen a live one before and I was thrilled.

On this trip we saw lots of birds that were not native to Washington state so that is also a great thrill. I feel it is an honor to be among native wildlife and they are there for us to respect and enjoy. Feeding them is a mistake. First of all, what we feed them is not healthy for them. Also, when they get used to taking food from humans, they forget how to hunt for their own food when humans are not close by.

Bears have gotten used to the smell of people food when camping or hiking with a back pack. I know some around Yosemite even break into cars to get the food. It is important to keep your food out of reach of the bears. If camping, it should be tied with a rope high off the ground where a bear cannot reach. You should not have food in your tent or car since they can smell it. They also raid garbage cans so putting your food in there is also not a good idea. It is not good for the bear to eat people food and they need to forage through the woods for their normal diet.

The animals you encounter on a vacation can be a real pleasure. It is important that you enjoy them in their natural habitat and avoid any more contact than taking their picture.

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