Three cheers for Portugal

 and Pangea !
for Europe's first Elephant Sanctuary.

At the first and only circus* I was brought to
I cried to escape, not only the sight of the poor animals,
but also the ugly, threatening clowns.
(I found the Flying Trapeze less than breathtaking.)

Nor did I last long at Whipsnade zoo:
it was the very hot summer of 1947
and the sight of the polar bear in a puddle of water
in a concrete enclosure was heartbreaking.

*Bertram Mills, London 1948. It was ghastly.
My poor mother had to lead me out when the animals came on.