Thursday, September 11, 2008

The Circle of Life


Photos by Ina Fassbender. REUTERS

I've always tried to make this blog about positive things, but Brent Stirton's pictures of the slain gorillas were so powerfully and sensitively done (as well as conveying the respect for life and courage of the villagers carrying the bier) that I felt no qualms about posting them. However, as something of an antidote to the cruelty pictured yesterday, here are some much more cuddly and life-affirming animal pictures of the siberian tiger Shakyra and one of her five two-day old cubs at their enclosure at the Hamm Zoo in Germany. The birth of five tiger babies last Wednesday was completely unexpected, as the zoo had not even known that Shakyra was pregnant! But clearly mother and child are doing well, and the circle of life goes on.







4 comments:

porter hovey said...

Yes, I agree. What a poignant pairing of photographs. It's crazy that the zoo had no idea that she was pregnant.

amrosario said...

Count the world as lucky as we can use all the SIberian tigers we can get. Great to see such little life on this day of sad rememberance. Thanks so much for sharing these.

Unknown said...

COULD THEY BE ANY CUTER!?!?!

Norlinda said...

They may be really big cats, but they seem to act like my little kitty at home.
Thanks for posting these.