Away in a Manger

"The ox knows his owner, the ass his master's crib; but Israel knows not, my people do not consider."

- Isaiah 1:3

December is upon us, and with it the associated festivities at the zoo.   Not for the keepers, of course - there may be a holiday party or two, but for the most part, the work carries on as usual, only colder.  Instead, there are a lot of activities for visitor.  Zoolights, visits from Santa, Christmas-themed enrichment, or perhaps an appearance from a traveling herd of reindeer.  If there's a way to drive the gate without deviating too much from the mission, you can bet someone in marketing has thought of it.

Of course, this time of year other animal attractions pop up around town.  Nativity scenes, recreating the birth of Jesus, are popular displays at many holiday venues.  Some of these include live animals.

The ox and the ass are featured prominently in such displays. The ox because it represented patience and sacrifice in the Old Testament, the ass because it represented humility and service (such as when one carried Jesus into Jerusalem some thirty years later, according to the Bible).  Sometimes goats and sheep are added to fill things up a bit, especially because they, too, have a lot of Biblical imagery associated with them.  For the facilities that can afford them, camels are also popular.  They aren't specifically mentioned anywhere, but most depictions of the Three Kings have them riding on camels, and they're a lot more exotic and exciting than most farm animals, so some folks like to add them.

Photo Credit: Miracle of Christmas - Live at the Zoo (Metro Richmond Zoo) Facebook

Perhaps because these animals are already usual features of zoo collections - and because Nativity scenes are inherently more religious than reindeer and Santa, which are more secular - you don't see live Nativity scenes in zoos as much as you do churches and other religious organizations.  (An exception is Metro Richmond Zoo, which is well known for its live Nativity acted out by staff).  Animals for these scenes are often rented out from petting zoos for the season.  

Whenever such a scene is enacted, there's usually some sort of pushback from PETA or other animal rights groups who oppose the use of animals in... well... anything.  They feel that animals in these cases are being used as toy and are shuffled around to unfamiliar settings.  Partially true.  Petting zoo animals are generally comfortable in dealing with kids, and as long as they are provided adequate housing and care and are given breaks from the public, I don't see how it's that different from a petting zoo anywhere else.  That being said, any such display that is not meeting the needs of the animals should be shut down - and have animals yanked and fines dished out - so fast that the owners' heads spin.

That kind of sums up my view of most animal interactions.  If the needs and wants of the animal are met, no one is getting hurt, no one is doing anything unsafe or illegal, why not do it?  Animals are a part of our history, our culture, and, yes, our religion.  Why not celebrate them as part of the season?