And I’ve always loved animals
When I was a young child, I had severe asthma, and it seemed like I was allergic to everything, especially animals. This was particularly difficult for me because I loved animals. When I went to an allergist at about 6, I discovered I was allergic to all animals with hair, fur, and feathers. To me, this was very cruel. I didn’t accept this and constantly begged my mother for a pet. I began to have weekly allergy shots, averaging about 6 shots per week, to desensitize me to everything I was allergic to. I took these shots for about ten years.
I can remember pleading with my mother to allow me to go to the Jefferson County Fair every summer, knowing full well that I would suffer an asthma attack because of the presence of the cattle and poultry exhibits. But I went anyway and always had an attack. I was even allergic to my cousins, who lived on a farm. I couldn’t have my cousin Jeff spend the night with me because I would have an attack.
I had a cat and the occasional hamster, which didn’t bother me much. I also had many turtles, snakes, lizards, fish, an alligator, and just about everything else that didn’t have fur or feathers.
There was one animal that did not have hair, or so I thought, and I really wanted one. This was an elephant. I lived in a small town, and we didn’t have an elephant at the zoo. I could only watch them on an old TV show, Marlin Perkin’s “Wild Kingdom”.
As time went on, my asthma subsided, and I was finally free to have more pets. I finally got a dog during high school, and we also had a cat. After graduating and getting a job in Boston, I got a dog, fish, and parrot. But secretly, I still wanted an elephant. I also began to develop a love for tigers. I knew I could never have either.
One of my best vacations was in Thailand. The highlights of that trip were a visit to an elephant sanctuary and a tiger farm. At the elephant sanctuary, I got close to elephants and even rode one for an hour. I was in heaven. After that, I wanted one even more.
When I visited the tiger farm, I held a six-month-old tiger cub. It was fantastic. Then, I was able to stand next to and pet a full-grown tiger. I really didn’t realize how big tigers were! After this experience, I gave up the idea of having a tiger as a pet. They are really beautiful animals, but they should never be kept as pets.
We should all strive to protect them in the wild. Sometime after this experience, I was saddened by the news that the tigers at the tiger farm had to be destroyed because of the bird flu that struck Asia then. However, I still desired to have an elephant and even fantasized about moving to Thailand to buy a house where I could have an elephant and hire a mahout to care for him.
I have visited Asia several times, including Chengdu, China, where I held a six-month-old panda. Shortly after my visit, the area suffered a major catastrophic earthquake, which traumatized many pandas.
I admire the WWF's work with the pandas in China. In 2007, I retired from my job in Boston and moved to Malaysia. The only elephants in Malaysia are found in Borneo, which is quite far from where I lived. I still wanted an elephant, even though I realized it was impossible.
At least in Malaysia, I didn’t have far to travel to see them in Borneo or Thailand. I had already visited the elephants in Thailand and, of course, the zoos in Malaysia. I had to settle for elephant souvenirs and figurines instead of the real thing. I still hold out hope that one day I will become filthy rich and be able to care for one!
I consider myself very lucky to have been able to interact with so many of the beautiful animals that I love. I now have two Quaker parrots, a saltwater aquarium, and my best buddy, Cato, who would be extremely jealous if I had another pet.
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