Until very recently, I had never been to a petting zoo. Well, actually, I have...a long time ago when I was only a little child just becoming curious about the world outside my house. I have a strangely clear memory of the time when my parents took me to a petting zoo. I was handed a wicker basket filled with fresh spinach. Bunnies started to gather around me. Soon I found myself surrounded by countless bunnies. When I realized I couldn't move an inch and there was no way out, I remember crying out loud for help. I'm glad I didn't end up being afraid of bunnies (like Anya in Buffy the Vampire Slayer...if you know what I'm talking about...).

Then, a few weeks ago, I visited a local petting zoo. I somehow expected the place to be like the one I visited when I was a little child -- the kind of place where you can be "with" all the small animals. I was wrong. I saw many bigger animals such as llamas, donkeys, deer, goats and ponies in fences (this is understandable, you don't want yourself and your kids to be kicked by these animals by accident), and these animals barely had space to move around. Some of them looked unhealthy. As for bunnies, they were in a small cage, and there was no way I could reach them. The caged birds looked stressed and were repeating compulsive behaviors. There were no petting zoo workers to supervise people or the animals out in the field (is this typical?) I left the place with somewhat sad feelings. I didn't feel any connection with these fenced animals, including the small animals which I couldn't even touch.

Maybe I was too naive about the general image I had about petting zoos, or maybe I should visit more petting zoos, so I can see what's "typical." I know I shouldn't judge or jump to a conclusion. So, I searched for petting zoos on the Internet. Although websites don't tell you every detail about each place, it looks like there really are petting zoos run by experienced people who have enthusiasm and love for animals. These places encourage people to interact with the animals and provide more educational information for visitors. All petting zoos should be this way.