Habitat for Elephants Essay Example for Free

Habitat for Elephants Essay After observing the giraffe exhibit, my partner Nan Chen and I decided to make our way to observe the Janice Suber McNair Asian Elephant Habitat which was built in 2008; an exhibit, home to seven different elephants, both young and old. The exhibit is home to adult bull Thai, adult cows Methai, Shanti, and Tess, juvenile bull Tucker (Tess son), and calves Baylor (Shantis son) and Tupelo (Tess daughter). Janice Suber McNair Asian Elephant Habitat exhibit covers an enormous three acres, provides many amenities to its residents; the elephants. THE amenities include an eighty thousand gallon pool as well as a seven thousand square foot elephant barn where the elephants are given daily public baths. I think that the zoo management has done a really spectacular job in bringing some elephant cultural behavior to the zoo. According to the Houston Zoo, â€Å"Since adult males and females live apart in the wild, you’ll see the same living arrangement here at the Zoo: our females are in one yard with their calves, while our older male, Thai, and younger Tucker enjoy space to themselves†. Also the landscaping of trees, natural grasses and varied elevated terrain create a wonderful environment for the elephants and the open design and viewing areas provide an enhanced guest experience as well. We were also lucky to observe the elephants get bathed in the barn where a Houston local news anchor also happened to be there. We first observed the oldest elephant Thai get bathed and he quite enjoyed it. He was also used to the bathing procedure as he knew how to turn as well as which foot to lift to wash. During this process we got to view the elephants bathe. The zoo keepers scrubbed off the elephant with soap as well as water. All of the elephants were confined into separate caged cabins, and the elephants were getting bathed one at a time. The elephant in the first cage was bathed first, I believe his name was Thai and I believe behind him were Tess and Tupelo. Since Thai was getting all the attention, Tess behind him was getting mad and she was banging her head on to Thai ’s cage crying for attention. The one thing I noticed that the zookeepers were not doing much to calm and play with Tess. She banged her head several times which may have injured her after some times. I felt like the zoo keepers should have paid some attention to Tess especially since the public was watching and that a lot of the visitors including myself were video recording this incident. It is a proven fact that elephants can live in nearly any habitat that has adequate quantities of food and water. Their ideal habitat consists of plentiful grass. At the Houston Zoo in the elephant exhibit I did not see â€Å"plentiful grass†. The elephant’s trunk serves as a nose, hand, extra foot, signaling device and tool for gathering food, siphoning water, dusting, and digging. To tend to these characteristics of the elephant the Zoo was successful in providing dust, water and a muddy ground for digging. I think the zoo can improve on the direct interaction between the elephants and the visitors at the zoo. They can give a supervised interaction with the elephants. The visitors can maybe feed them or offer them peanut or maybe the visitors can also bath the magnificent and adorable elephants. After a lot of research I found that the best manmade elephant habitat can be found at the famous Cincinnati Zoo. Since they adjust their exhibit to cater the needs of each and every species or kind of elephants they recognize the fact that the Asian and the African elephants have lived in two different environments. The African elephants are naturally used to dry grass lands and savannahs, however the Asian and elephants are used to in the jungle, but generally on the edge where open, grassy areas are accessible. They prefer areas that combine grass, low woody plants, and forest. This is something I did not see in the Houston Zoo. I think if the exhibit is true to the natural elephant habitat the environment will be friendlier and the Elephants will not have the need to adapt as much into the zoo. I believe that an ideal habitat for the elephants should have no virtually no visible barriers between you and the animals, this habitat puts you right in the thick of things. Also the habitat should serve as an exhibit hub, offering opportunities to understand and appreciate the diverse array of Elephants’ and their complex relationships with human populations. And Last but not least there should be a visual in which the concept of loss of habitat, the main reason why several Elephant species are being extinct, should be portrayed. This will allow the visitors to reflect back on to their role in the world to preserve the endangered species. In conclusion, I believe that the Janice Suber McNair Asian Elephant Habitat at the Houston zoo does not cater to the natural needs of the elephants. Since the McNair Exhibit is tries to create a universal habitat for all the elephants that reside there. The Zoo does not take the fact that they have elephants that come from different parts of the world, and are used to different habitats as well as climates. The Houston zoo should observe the true habitat of the elephants as well as observe other exhibits and recreate the exhibit.

Essay Comparing Beowulf and The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki

Beowulf and The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki      Ã‚   There are so many similarities between the hero of the poem Beowulf and The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki, an Iceland saga representing 1000 years of oral traditions prior to the 1300’s when it was written, that these similarities cannot be attributed solely to coincidence.    The Cambridge History of English and American Literature states that the hero of the poem, Beowulf himself, may be the same person as Bodvar Biarki, the chief of Hrolfr Kraki’s knights (v1, ch3, s3, n13). George Clark in â€Å"The Hero and the Theme† mentions: â€Å"The form of Beowulf taken as a whole suggests both the ‘Bear’s Son’ folktale type (especially as we find it in Scandinavia) and the ‘combat myth’. . . .† (286). In The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki, Bodvar is the grandson of a king (Hring); in Beowulf the hero is the grandson of a king (Hrethel). Bodvar’s father has been expelled from his country, Gautland; Beowulf’s father Ecgtheow has been expelled from Geatland. Bodvar’s father is dead; Beowulf’s father is dead (Hrothgar says,†his father, now dead, was named Ecgtheow†) (373). Bodvar as a boy was so strong that he was not permitted to take part in the king’s games past the ag e of twelve because he injured too many of his opponents; Beowulf as a young man was so strong that â€Å"he was the strongest of all living men† (196). Bodvar was huge; Beowulf was â€Å"noble and huge† (198). Bodvar was more noble than the people around him; Beowulf refused to accept the kingship from Queen Hygd upon Hygelac’s death, risked his life various times for the benefit of others, put his own welfare last instead of first, and distributed his wealth generously when it was warranted. â€Å"Though Beowulf is careful to collect his winnings, ... ...en and the gentlest, the kindest to his people† (3181).    The Iceland saga, The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki, written in the 1300’s, represents about 1000 years of oral traditions. The remarkable similarities between this saga’s main character and Beowulf’s main character are just too astounding to dismiss as mere coincidences.    BIBLIOGRAPHY    Chickering, Howell D.. Beowulf A dual-Language Edition. New York: Anchor Books, 1977.    Clark, Gorge. â€Å"The Hero and the Theme.† In A Beowulf Handbook, edited by Robert Bjork and John D. Niles. Lincoln, Nebraska: Uiversity of Nebraska Press, 1997.    The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki, translated by Jesse L. Byock. New York: Penguin Books, 1998.    Ward & Trent, et al. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1907–21; New York: Bartleby.com, 2000

Causes of Hardships of Southern Sharecropping

For many people in the 1930†³s living conditions were not as adequate as they needed to be. The stock market had just crashed in 1928, and the US was in the midst of the Great Depression. Many people suffered from lack of money, and many others suffered from lack of food. One group of people who suffered greatly during this time period were the southern share croppers. Factors that caused the substandard living conditions of the southern share croppers in the 1930†³s include lack of education, poor health care, and inadequate living facilities. The first factor that caused the substandard living onditions of the southern share croppers was their lack of education. There were several reasons the share croppers didn†t get the education they needed. One main reason was because many children didn†t go to school. Harold Walker writes that Southern cotton states ranked lower in rate of attendance for each student enrolled than any of the other states in the nation (4). A factor that contributed to this was their excessive mobility, which inhibited many children from going to school (Corder 27). It is common knowledge that any child who constantly moves around will not be able to attend school on a regular basis, and even if hey go to a school when they get a chance they will be so far behind they would have a difficult time catching up. Another factor that impeded on a child†s attendance at school was the fact that they never went to school when there was cotton to be picked (Walker 8). This may not seem like a large task, but some times it could take weeks to pick all the cotton. These few weeks that a child spent picking cotton was valuable learning time, and missing it could put a child too far behind to catch up. Another reason share croppers didn†t get the education they needed was because many southern rural schools had short terms Gentry 21). Because of this teachers would not be able to cover all of the material that they needed to cover, or they would have to rush through the material they did cover. A final reason the education of the southern cotton states was not as good as other states was because their teachers were not as good. This was reflected in the fact that the salaries of Southern teachers were not as high as the salaries of other teachers (Mckeon 98). Back in the 1930†³s the higher a teacher†s salary was the higher their quality and training was (Mckeon 98). This meant that when children did go to school they did not get adequate teaching. Because of all of these reasons education of the Southern cotton states was at an all time low. The children were not getting the education they needed, so they were forced to work the substandard jobs such as sharecropping. This meant that their children would not get the education they needed, either. It was a cycle that led to the lowering of the general living conditions of southern share croppers, but lack of education was not the only factor that lowered the living conditions of the share Another reason the living conditions of the southern share croppers were so low was because they had poor health care. To egin with the tenant farmers did not eat in a healthy manner. Mckeon writes that many tenant farmers in the South said that garden vegetables, milk, butter, and eggs were never a part of their diet (116). One of the main things that they did eat was â€Å"sowbelly†, a fat salty pork (Walker 33). Because they ate so poorly it was hard for them to stay healthy. Another health concern of the tenant farmers was that their clothing was very coarse and not warm enough (Gentry 38). Many of the men wore denim overalls and the women wore cheap cotton and homemade underwear, if any at all (Gentry 38). Wearing clothing like this ould be very hard on a person during the winter months, and could easily lead to diseases such as the flu or pneumonia. These diseases were hard for the poor sharecroppers to combat because it was hard for them to afford any medication, if there were any medications at all to help them out. Another disease that plagued the southern sharecroppers was typhoid fever (Gentry 31). This disease was spread through contaminated wells and took a heavy toll on the life and energy of a person (Gentry 31). Malaria, which led to several fatalities, was also a serious problem for the tenant farmers (Corder 98). It was a major roblem for many of the unfitting men, and the men who worked long energetic hours (Corder 98). With all of these health hazards it was hard for the southern share croppers to stay healthy. To make the problem even worse there were not enough health care facilities to take care of the sick. Walker writes that in the 1930†³s there was an average of 210 persons per hospital bed in the south, while the national average was only 120 (10). This led to many overcrowded hospitals, and many times the sick had to be sent home and took care of there. The bad thing about this was that the disease could be spread around the amily, and soon around the community because there was nothing to contain it. Because of this the living conditions of the southern sharecroppers continued to decline, and it became harder and harder for them to make a better life for themselves. Another major problem many of the southern sharecroppers faced was poor housing. In many cases the houses of the southern sharecroppers were in horrid condition. Walker writes that many of the houses were huts on the verge of collapsing (17). Many of these huts were on the verge of collapsing into the water that surrounded them (Walker 4). To get to these houses surrounded by ater logs were placed in a makeshift manner, and it was very dangerous to cross (Walker 4). A misplaced foot or a slippery log could easily have led to a severe injury, or maybe even death. The surrounding water could have also been an easy place for diseases, or dangerous animals to manifest, yet creating another health problem for the tenant farmers. Houses for the southern share croppers of this time were usually only two or three rooms, which made it almost impossible for anyone to have privacy or decency (Walker 87). The close living conditions also made it easier for germs to spread, which meant that when one erson in a family got sick the rest of the family got sick along with them. The construction of these shacks that the tenant farmers lived in was also very poor. In many cases the roofs were leaky (Walker 40). In other cases the houses were never even painted, which meant that the houses were more susceptible After looking back at the way the southern sharecroppers lived it is easy to see that their way of life was well below what is considered decent. These tenant farmers were plagued with disease, they lacked a thorough education, and they lived in wretched little shacks that were well below society†s standards. Causes of Hardships of Southern Sharecropping For many people in the 1930†³s living conditions were not as adequate as they needed to be. The stock market had just crashed in 1928, and the US was in the midst of the Great Depression. Many people suffered from lack of money, and many others suffered from lack of food. One group of people who suffered greatly during this time period were the southern share croppers. Factors that caused the substandard living conditions of the southern share croppers in the 1930†³s include lack of education, poor health care, and inadequate living facilities. The first factor that caused the substandard living onditions of the southern share croppers was their lack of education. There were several reasons the share croppers didn†t get the education they needed. One main reason was because many children didn†t go to school. Harold Walker writes that Southern cotton states ranked lower in rate of attendance for each student enrolled than any of the other states in the nation (4). A factor that contributed to this was their excessive mobility, which inhibited many children from going to school (Corder 27). It is common knowledge that any child who constantly moves around will not be able to attend school on a regular basis, and even if hey go to a school when they get a chance they will be so far behind they would have a difficult time catching up. Another factor that impeded on a child†s attendance at school was the fact that they never went to school when there was cotton to be picked (Walker 8). This may not seem like a large task, but some times it could take weeks to pick all the cotton. These few weeks that a child spent picking cotton was valuable learning time, and missing it could put a child too far behind to catch up. Another reason share croppers didn†t get the education they needed was because many southern rural schools had short terms Gentry 21). Because of this teachers would not be able to cover all of the material that they needed to cover, or they would have to rush through the material they did cover. A final reason the education of the southern cotton states was not as good as other states was because their teachers were not as good. This was reflected in the fact that the salaries of Southern teachers were not as high as the salaries of other teachers (Mckeon 98). Back in the 1930†³s the higher a teacher†s salary was the higher their quality and training was (Mckeon 98). This meant that when children did go to school they did not get adequate teaching. Because of all of these reasons education of the Southern cotton states was at an all time low. The children were not getting the education they needed, so they were forced to work the substandard jobs such as sharecropping. This meant that their children would not get the education they needed, either. It was a cycle that led to the lowering of the general living conditions of southern share croppers, but lack of education was not the only factor that lowered the living conditions of the share Another reason the living conditions of the southern share croppers were so low was because they had poor health care. To egin with the tenant farmers did not eat in a healthy manner. Mckeon writes that many tenant farmers in the South said that garden vegetables, milk, butter, and eggs were never a part of their diet (116). One of the main things that they did eat was â€Å"sowbelly†, a fat salty pork (Walker 33). Because they ate so poorly it was hard for them to stay healthy. Another health concern of the tenant farmers was that their clothing was very coarse and not warm enough (Gentry 38). Many of the men wore denim overalls and the women wore cheap cotton and homemade underwear, if any at all (Gentry 38). Wearing clothing like this ould be very hard on a person during the winter months, and could easily lead to diseases such as the flu or pneumonia. These diseases were hard for the poor sharecroppers to combat because it was hard for them to afford any medication, if there were any medications at all to help them out. Another disease that plagued the southern sharecroppers was typhoid fever (Gentry 31). This disease was spread through contaminated wells and took a heavy toll on the life and energy of a person (Gentry 31). Malaria, which led to several fatalities, was also a serious problem for the tenant farmers (Corder 98). It was a major roblem for many of the unfitting men, and the men who worked long energetic hours (Corder 98). With all of these health hazards it was hard for the southern share croppers to stay healthy. To make the problem even worse there were not enough health care facilities to take care of the sick. Walker writes that in the 1930†³s there was an average of 210 persons per hospital bed in the south, while the national average was only 120 (10). This led to many overcrowded hospitals, and many times the sick had to be sent home and took care of there. The bad thing about this was that the disease could be spread around the amily, and soon around the community because there was nothing to contain it. Because of this the living conditions of the southern sharecroppers continued to decline, and it became harder and harder for them to make a better life for themselves. Another major problem many of the southern sharecroppers faced was poor housing. In many cases the houses of the southern sharecroppers were in horrid condition. Walker writes that many of the houses were huts on the verge of collapsing (17). Many of these huts were on the verge of collapsing into the water that surrounded them (Walker 4). To get to these houses surrounded by ater logs were placed in a makeshift manner, and it was very dangerous to cross (Walker 4). A misplaced foot or a slippery log could easily have led to a severe injury, or maybe even death. The surrounding water could have also been an easy place for diseases, or dangerous animals to manifest, yet creating another health problem for the tenant farmers. Houses for the southern share croppers of this time were usually only two or three rooms, which made it almost impossible for anyone to have privacy or decency (Walker 87). The close living conditions also made it easier for germs to spread, which meant that when one erson in a family got sick the rest of the family got sick along with them. The construction of these shacks that the tenant farmers lived in was also very poor. In many cases the roofs were leaky (Walker 40). In other cases the houses were never even painted, which meant that the houses were more susceptible After looking back at the way the southern sharecroppers lived it is easy to see that their way of life was well below what is considered decent. These tenant farmers were plagued with disease, they lacked a thorough education, and they lived in wretched little shacks that were well below society†s standards.

A Comparative of Shakespeares Othello and Oedipus Rex

A Comparative of Shakespeare’s Othello and Oedipus Rex In Shakespeare’s work Othello: The Moor of Venice, Othello’s over trusting nature was revealed when his trust in false accusations about his wife Desdemona’s unfaithfulness causes him to kill her and himself, conveying Othello as a tragic hero. Oedipus, the main character in Oedipus Rex, is characterized as a tragic hero when he tries to run away from his fate and finds out that the cause of his fate was his attempt to escape it. Oedipus Rex and Othello share a common thematic link in fact that both main characters meet the qualifications of a tragic hero at some point, the differences in how they meet Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero also create themes unique to each. Othello and Oedipus are similar in the requirements to be tragic heroes of having a high position. After Othello discovers that Brabantio, who is his wife’s dad, is unhappy about Othello marrying Desdemona, he reveals that he is not worried about the Duke and Senate following through with Brabantio request to punish him by saying to Iago, â€Å"Which when I know that boasting is an honor,/ I shall promulgate – I fetch my life and being / From men of royal siege,† (1.2 20 – 22). Evidence shows that, Othello is of royal ancestry, has power and a title in a land predominantly white people is a big accomplishment in Shakespeare’s time. Oedipus is a great king. In the prologue of the play Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is discussing with the Priest who is of high