Mind Of Nala, Escaped Lioness In Florida
A full grown lioness who escaped from Jungle Land, was spotted by helicopter today in a
cypress swamp, by wildlife officials trying to recapture her, she was only about one
hundred yards from the zoo, if we can be inside her for a moment, thinking we are
surrounded by swamp, but the trees and rocks blocking our view are only wildlife corridors
six foot deep, nature that seemed a little deserted on second thoughts, with the scent of
petroleum at its wild centre, there is no mystery beyond this situation, I would prefer to
be in captivity, where I dreamt of escape like the lioness, even if she had been hand
raised, declawed and had become very sociable, she still found a way to slip out, into the
promise of a swamp in Florida, her dream had come true, now she stood inside her
discovery, it's when she spotted the helicopter that we knew her dreams had been
delusions, that kept her fit and energetic for the public display, what do lions in their
golden years think about with the bars locked into them?, her inner space, great tawny
claw and thick saliva moving down through teeth like rivulets, what happened to the mind
of Nala the escaped lioness, after she saw the helicopter?, was she shot to protect the
public or simply dragged back into Jungle Land?, as all our hearts turned to gold and broke
inside her muscular chest, they were all after her in a bid to make her face reality, the
Deputies from the County Sheriffs Office, zoo employees, agents from Florida's Game and
Fresh Water Fish Commission and Jungle Land's Marketing Director screeching, "she loves
children!, she just loves children!," if only lions would allow kids to ride on their backs like
donkeys and elephants do, but they don't break the wild out of them so easily, lions don't
become couches and sofas without a fight, without a poaching wild look in the sheer
yellow eye, they are ready to find the way out, their defeat and breaking down in slow
motion, it is a plan that takes a long time to initiate, it is a pain that takes me all my life
to endure, for awhile the thick vegetation and swampy terrain made it impossible for the
helicopter to reach her, Nala escaped the seven acre Jungle Land, into the cypress swamp
that is surrounded by hotels, restaurants and expensive homes in a popular tourist area,
each time she was sighted she slipped away silently into the lush vegetation that could
have gone forever, at one time during her dreamscape, she was found simply pacing next
to the fence enclosing the zoo, hours later she was back inside her cage or within range of
the tranquiliser loaded dart gun, we all held our breath for the lioness, who was no longer
visible from the air, knowing soon the helicopter would come to turn her into an
amusement, we are relieved yet let down once she has safely taken her place back inside,
once recaptured Nala knows better, beyond Florida's mini swamp is mini golf and
suburbia, beyond our dreams is Jungle Land patrolled by a helicopter, and she's captured
again, but for a short time we travelled with her, a lioness who remained on the loose. |
