Tunis's most adorable residents

Lucky visitors to the Tunis Zoo can receive a behind-the-scenes tour for the low-low price of one dinar bribe per zoo employee. Number 6 and I were were invited into the lion's den and stood one foot from the cage in which a massive lion was happily gnawing away at a giant bone. He growled in what I hope was happiness while chewing. Have you heard a lion roar two feet from your head. Nerve-wracking, to say the least. Then the zoo man opened the door to the lions' pen so that I could take a photo of this cuddling couple without those pesky safety bars getting in the way:



Good lord are lions' heads and paws massive! Near the lions, we were treated to a visit to a baby leopard, whose head the zoo employee poked to make the animal hiss like any 30 pound baby kitty would do. A dinar well spent.


And that was not the end! We proceeded to both pet and feed: a complacent rhino, two hungry hungry hippos and several camels.


Number 6 cradled a baby goat and guinea pigs in her loving arms. I was unable to convince the zoo man to let us pet the foxes, but I suppose I should be satisfied with cavorting with hippos and rhinos.


Vegetarian animals are the sweetest, after all.