I love going to zoos. It is one of the rare times in my day that I am presented with the incredible. Rarely during our routine are we faced with things that make us stop and take pause, things so out of the ordinary that we are at a loss for words. Visiting a zoo affords one the opportunity, for example, to stand next to a full grown male tiger, separated only by a thick pane of, hopefully, shatterproof plexiglass. During such a visit one might begin to get a sense that there are, perhaps, things in the world larger and more awesome than who stuffed what fabric into whose mouth on that one reality show that we hopefully remembered to Tivo.

Yesterday I spent a little time lost in the unblinking gaze of such a tiger, separated by said plexiglass, thinking absently that gosh his head was pretty big, which by flow of logic implied an equally large mouth which, of course, suggested a rather nasty set of largish teeth. As I stood there lost in vague thoughts, idly watching small kids crouched in front of this massive beast, their parents encouraging them to snug in closer so that they could frame the photo better for Aunt Betty who really did love zoos just not the crowds that zoos encouraged, the tiger yawned. A slow, deliberate yawn that started with a slight nose twitch that could have easily ended with a cute wrinkle of his lip but instead progressed with a horrible intensity, revealing sharp teeth designed not to entertain and amuse so much as to rend, tear and rip. It was a yawn that spoke volumes, predator to prey. It said "I know you, I know your fear and your weakness...I know how fast you can run and I know the taste of your ancestor's flesh."

I couldn't help but notice everyone in the room gave a slight, involuntary step back as nervous giggles filled the sudden void of fearful silence. The reptilian parts of several brains in the room were no doubt desperately trying to connect with the evolved simian lobes (who were doubtless busy with the bowel-voiding portion of the fight-or-flight checklist) to file a strong suggestion that now might be a great time to start running, and, if there was time, it would really be keen if you could work up some mindless gibbering. I like to think that for a brief moment in time the collective group completely forgot about whether they remembered to Tivo American Idol, if they were paying too much for insurance or if their kitchen counters really were deep down clean. The visceral realization that, yes, your head will in fact fit easily within that maw will tend to do that. Especially if, like us, your promotion to the top of the food chain is a relatively recent one. There was a moment of brief disappointment on my part as not one visitor scooped up their offspring and sprinted out the door, although I did take a couple of surreptitious steps towards the exit until my own brain was able to assure me that I had not recently read of any plexiglass warranty related lawsuits.