The World Of Sebastian

Many animals lost their lives back then during the natural catastrophe, either dying from thirst or from hunger. Those who survived were set free by people. Elephants, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, zebras, and many more species just ran out into the wilderness. Nobody knows what happened to them. Tilla´s family, that according to my grandfather´s tale consisted of six members altogether, was either afraid or too much adapted to their usual environment, and therefore they just stayed. Ty, Tiger´s father, just died two months ago from an unknown disease. The notion that little Tiger will never get to know his father still makes me sad. Now, Tilla and Tiger are the last gorillas in our zoo. With the ancestors of Thera and Pan nobody dared to open their cage. That´s why the big cats have stayed, even though they did not have a choice. And then we still have Carla and her partner Bear, peaceful and absolutely non-dangerous koalas, who disappear into the trees upon the slightest sign of disturbance. Furthermore we have a little flock of sheep, whose fine wool is turned into clothing, and a rooster with his twenty hens. After their arrival at the zoo my grandparents volunteered to take care of the animals. And over the years they have grown to them.

Tiger has become a true friend to me. The best I ever could imagine. Since the day he was born I´ve been to the palm house every day. At every meeting I have to watch out not to get knocked over when he throws himself into my arms. The four-pound baby has quickly grown into a little colossus, which does not stop me from playing with him. Sometimes I feel as if I were a gorilla myself. Our horseplaying has not only taught me how to climb. Tilla sometimes calls him back when he becomes too energetic. But even if I return home black and blue, I wouldn´t want to miss out on my time with him. If it isn´t too cold I even sleep next to him. I trust him blindly and I feel that he´d never harm me seriously or willfully.  We never leave their compound but always stay in their house or in the bordering garden plot. Sadly. I have asked my parents many times to be allowed to take him out. But all my pleading and begging were in vain. Our conversations always ran along the same lines: “People here wouldn´t understand him and be scared, if a male gorilla were wandering the streets, even if he´s just a baby. You need to understand this,” my mother said.“ And who worries about Tiger? He´ll have to spend the rest of his life in this little house, without ever having seen anything else but a boring compound enclosed by a wire-mesh fence. And all of this only, because people are afraid of him. They don´t even know him. He wouldn´t harm a fly,” I protested in a quite agitated voice. “If I´d demand to take the cats for a walk, I´d understand. But Tiger?” I added with a miserable and pleading expression. “We all know what you mean, darling, but people just don´t see it the way we do. Fear is a bad companion who has made many people do things they have regretted afterwards, but, were irreversible. Our animals would be the ones who suffer. Trust us and our ability to judge things,” my father said.