Unlike a zoo, this place provides large chunks of land for the animals. A mile long catwalk goes over the different areas so you can view the animals without a cage in the way, yet you're completely safe.
The lioness who features in the following photos (three of the four, anyway) had just laid down for a bit of a rest on a set of platforms provided in her pen when a rabbit came running right up to her. I couldn't believe it would be so dumb, so watched in horror and fascination as it ran to directly below the lioness, stopped, and stared directly up at her. For a moment, it looked like the lioness was going to let this transgression go, but then she leapt up and shot off after the rabbit. If you look at the first two photos, you'll see the rabbit is also in each photo, running for its life (top right of each photo).
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| Notice the dust cloud at her feet. |
Now, the thing about this lioness was that she had just eaten. That, plus it was super hot out. She wasn't chasing the rabbit to eat it, rather to play. Partway across the field she did the lioness version of flapping her hands at the bunny and saying, "Forget it."
Only she didn't forget it after all, because then the dumb bunny ran straight into her den, which consisted of a buried concrete pipe. Seeing this, she took off, diving straight into the pipe. A moment later two rabbits burst out of the top of the other end of the pipe, making a run for it.
Talk about multiplying like bunnies!
The lioness sauntered out of the den, ignoring the rabbits on the other end of the field, and wandered back to the platforms to rest.
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| So tired, her tongue is hanging out. |
Now for some links.
Accepting Submissions
Crossed Genres Magazine has monthly themed editions, and they're seeking short stories. The September theme they're accepting submissions for is Second Contact. Pays $.05 cents per issue. Deadline September 30 (future themes and deadlines are posted on the website). Science fiction and fantasy.
Pinknantucket Press has a twice a year journal called Materiality, with deadlines in March and September each year. They pay $AUS 10-20. Fiction, essay, images, and poetry focusing on the physical and material. Current deadline is September 30.
Bundoran Press is seeking political science fiction short stories for an anthology. Pays 5.5 cents per word, Canadian. Deadline September 30.
Fringeworks has a call out for short stories for Terror Tree's Pun Book of Horror. Deadline September 30. Pays in royalties. Looking for horror stories with a solid pun involved.
Buttontapper Press seeks "literature that presses buttons in three distinct genres: humorous erotica, ninja novellas, and cheeky haiku." Pay unknown. Deadlines begin September 30.
Contests:
The Puritan Magazine is holding The Second Annual Thomas Morton Memorial Prize in Literary Excellence. Deadline for entry is September 30. Best story gets $900, best poem gets $600. Each also get a set of books with their prize. $10 submission fee.
Glimmer Train accepts both standard submissions for the magazine and entries via their four contests per year. Regularly submitted items pay $700 on acceptance. The contest prizes vary. There is a contest and a regular reading closing September 30: Open Fiction, 1st place pays $2500. The Standard submission pays the usual $700. There is a fee to enter the contest, but not for the standard reading.
Lee & Low Books is offering the New Voices Writers Award. This award will be offered for the best children's picture book by a writer of color. First prize is $1000 and publication.
Have you ever known a dumber bunny? Anything to share? Publishing news? Any of these catch your attention?
May you find your Muse.
