Another Monitor

It was a day for the Honolulu Zoo, if for nothing else than to see the Komodo Dragon and the lemurs.  We have our own Komodo Dragon in Virginia Beach, and I am becoming aware that these monitor lizards are the rage right now.   Even Starbucks has a Komodo Dragon:  coffee, that is.  As for the lemurs, they are my favorites only because their hands look so human-like.  Unfortunately, their cage here doesn’t permit a very close look.  There seems to be upgrading and expansion going on, however.  The elephants are getting a new habitat that will provide some much needed space.  There seems to be much room for expansion since the zoo is located at the foot of Diamond Head and right next to Waikiki Beach.  The zoo does a nice job with its native species of birds and geese.  Apparently, all of these isolated islands in the Pacific share a common natural history.  They were easily reached by birds and marine life, but not by mammals or reptiles.  That meant the birds had a heyday; Hawaii was the “Kingdom of Birds” according to one sign at the zoo.  Without predators, many lost their ability to fly.   Then the earth’s premier predator arrived, homo sapiens, and with him other species that would wipe out many of the indigenous bird species.  You’ve heard of the Dodo of New Zealand, for instance.  Hawaii had its own Dodo-like birds, and they almost all disappeared when the Polynesians arrived.  Now, the zoo and the state are worried about the indigenous Nene goose, Hawaii's state bird.   It managed to survive, but its numbers are dwindling.

Geographically yours,

D.J.Z.