Inkwatu

Do you remember Cuzn Don and his Mississippi Greens and Hillbilly Rabbits? Well, there’s a Cuzn Donna, too! It’s true. I’m not making this up. And, I’m real proud of her. She’s the veterinary technician at the Jackson, Mississippi, Zoo. It’s more than just a job for her; these animals are her loved ones. She has even nursed some back to health in her own home.

I got to visit Cuzn Donna last year for the first time since she was a toddler. The picture that leads this post is of my daddy and his family–my Mississippi kinfolk. The tall handsome young man on the right is my daddy. The little girl in the middle is Cuzn Don’s mamma. The boy between my daddy and Cuzn Don’s mamma (Aunt Esther) is Uncle Joe. And, the little barefoot boy sitting on the fence is Uncle Sammy, and Cuzn Donna’s daddy. (I’m told having one pant leg rolled up slightly higher than the other so they’re slightly askew, as his are, was the fashion for boys in those days.)

Something about that picture pretty well expresses the “real me.” My guess is Cuzn Don and Cuzn Donna feel the same way. (That photo is courtesy of Cuzn Don’s fantastic collection of family photos.)

So it was that Cuzn Donna loaded me into the zoo golf cart and gave me a personalized tour of the Jackson Zoo. One of the first things you see is a miniature stone castle that has become an identifying icon for the affection the residents of Jackson feel for their zoo. The zoo itself dates back to 1916 and the Lilliputian castle was built by the WPA during the depression. The city has a first-rate article on the history of the zoo—I hope you a have minute to read it; it’s very informative (but also interesting…sometimes those things don’t always go together).

The Jackson Zoo, like many zoos of its age has grown in its zoological philosophy. It has recently been converting the exhibits from the older caged style to natural habitat environments. It may have completed that transition by now.

At the time Cuzn Donna took me around there were, as you can see in the photos, lingering effects from Katrina, even that far north (trees down, etc.). Mississippi and Louisiana still have not recovered from the effects of that disaster. Laternlight, run by the Presentation Sisters of New Orleans, does yeoman work in feeding and clothing the destitute of New Orleans–a population much increased by Katrina. Much still remains to be done; especially along the Gulf Coast. A friend and I plan on visiting the Lanternlight mission later this year and, along the way, seeing firsthand what remains to be done along the coast. (Yup, I’ll take pictures.)

The Jackson Zoo is an AZA accredited zoo. The AZA site gives a lot of information about the current standards of animal care for zoos and aquariums. Meeting those standards is a requirement for accreditation by the AZA. Zoos like those in San Diego, San Francisco, and St. Louis, were at the forefront in the transition to natural habitat animal environments. A day at the zoo is one of the least expensive but yet most fun and educational things a family (or singles!) can do. I’ve planned a post on the Lowery Park Zoo in Tampa. An acquaintance is a docent there, so hopefully I can arrange an up-close view for us of the Lowery Park Zoo’s considerable modernization.

One of the close-up views of the Jackson Zoo Cuzn Donna gave me was of the veterinary facilities which are all Cuzn Donna’s domain. The critter pictured below was one of her recovering patients that day. His face pretty well expresses how it feels to be feeling poorly, doesn’t it!

Stay tuned for more from my Mississippi kinfolk. Cuzn Don is promising me a recipe for ultra-light hush-puppies—a necessary and perfect accompaniment to any true southern meal. You can be sure I’ll share the recipe with you and pictures of the finished product…if I can keep from eating them before the pictures get taken.

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