A tiger in a setting inspired by its origins...Unfortunately many of the Gulf region's zoos leave much to be desired. With their often excessively cramped and dirty cages and incessantly pacing or spasmodic animals they often seem more like a zoological loony-bin than a place for observing animals in quasi-natural environments. To some degree this also applies to zoos elsewhere in the world. Consequently I was very pleasantly surprised when I visited the zoo, or Bioparc as it's officially named, in Fuengirola, a town near Malaga in the southern tip of Spain. The first thing that struck me was how dignified, if that is a word that can be used when talking about animals in captivity, the various critters and creatures seemed to be. Many had exponentially larger cages compared to zoos elsewhere which allowed visual access to the animals without necessarily interrupting their play or daily routines too much. The zoo is also surprisingly intimate, with its winding routes and selection of nooks & crannies providing access to the various animal habitats. They\re all also flanked by vegetation that seemed to be originating from the locales to each animal's origins... It's core concept is well thought through. It has omitted including large animals such as elephants or giraffes which inevitably would need very large enclosures. The whole zoo can be walked/ strolled through in less than two hours, thus avoiding 'visit-fatigue' from settling in. The park is clean and well maintained. The Bioparc provides a useful template for how this form of enterprises can and should be realized...
Afternoon nap (or hunt)..?! 
Hungry-Hippo... 
Two become one... 
Morning stretch... 
Her domain... 
Follow the (junior) leader... 
Day-dreaming... 
Full Moon... 
Chillaxing... 
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