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Arguments, Concerns, and Love

Zack and I went down to the basement level and got a couple folding chairs out of the storage room, then headed up to the terrace. I set up one near the door for Zack and one for myself near the partition between the two enclosures that were used by the lions. "Good afternoon, folks. Does anyone have any questions about any of the animals in here, or in the zoo entire?"

The group of visitors turned to look in my direction, and then came over to clump near where I was standing. There were the usual questions, of course, like how many lions, why only one tiger, what they ate, aren't the cages too small... things of that nature. Then there were the children who asked questions like "can I pet one", and the adults "aren't they dangerous".

"Don't believe what he's telling you. It's all lies propagated to continue this abomination against nature. These animals belong in the wild and not in cages for us to gawk at!" came spoken loudly from the back.

I stood up. "Well, we certainly know your opinion, sir. But, it you don't mind my asking, why do you think that?"

"It's not just my opinion, it's fact!" came the response. "And I DO mind you asking. It's all over the internet exactly why zoos should no longer be part of modern society. It's not like we don't have television and film documentaries to show us what we need to know about animals, so why keep them in little pens any longer to "study" them and so we can see them? And I'm ashamed to see you up there, Zack. I thought you knew better."

I looked to Zack, who then looked down. "Mr. Connors," he mumbled softly.

I looked to the gentleman in the rear. "Sir... how long have you worked with big cats?" I inquired amicably.

"Not a day in my life! I refuse to subjugate such magnificient creatures just for the sake of being around them!" came the indignant reply.

"Well... perhaps you've not heard, but Panthera tigris - the tiger - is extremely endangered in its natural environment. "In the wild", to use your phrasing. And as such requires human assistance both in their native environment as well as in captivity to even maintain population numbers, let alone reverse the substantial downward trend that has occurred over the past... 60 years or so? And that Panthera leo - the African lion - is a threatened species now, with population numbers having declined "in the wild" from estimated over 450,000 animals 50 years ago when most of Africa gained its sociopolitical independence to perhaps as few as 20,000 wild lions today?" I looked to the gentleman. "Are you saying that instead of having captive populations to balance the decline in natural population that we should let these species die out?"

"No, I'm not saying that at all! You're twisting my words. Your kind always does!" came the huffy response.

"Well, then... how do you propose to maintain the species displayed here without some sort of captive population?" I inquired. The group turned to see what the gent would reply.

"That's easy! Just keep poachers and hunters and people from taking up the wild areas the tigers and lions inhabit!" The gent crossed his arms as though he said something very profound.

"Oh... um, mind if I inquire what nation you're a citizen of?" I asked.

"What difference does that make?" grunted the heckler.

"Well... I'm from here in the United States, so... we can kind of tell our government what to do through voting and speaking to our elected representatives. Most people in the parts of Africa that the lions typically inhabit have a far different outlook on life. They just want to plant crops and raise livestock so them and their families can continue living, all while trying to avoid an endless string of civil wars, clashes between warring tribal factions... that sort of thing. And the people of communist China have very little say in anything, including their own lifestyles. But apart from those issues, it's sort of silly for us as a nation to tell another nation what to do with their land, their laws... their way of life. Even if we see them doing something we consider atrocious - like military crackdowns or mass executions of political dissidents - we as a nation can do little to stop it. And those are very BIG issues, not something as relatively low down on the list as ecosystem stability, providing for natural enviroment areas to maintain stable apex predator populations, and things of those nature. Beyond which, when it comes to dealing with China, our nation owes them billions upon billions of dollars in international loans. It'd really be like you telling your mortgage bank how to do business. That sort of stuff wouldn't fly very far, would it?" I smiled politely.

"Well, there's ways they can protect the animals. They can pass laws if the world forces them to!" the gent grunted.

I shook my head. "Laws are meaningless unless they're enforced. And especially when it comes to the tiger, there ARE laws against poaching and disturbing the natural habitat. In most of those areas of Indo-China the villagers heat and cook with wood, most of which is gathered from the forests either by themselves or by others who then sell it to make an income. This in itself puts them in conflict with the tigers by putting themselves in proximity to the animals to the degree that if they react in an untoward manner, the animal is labeled a danger and then hunted - which usually results in several animals being killed because it's exceptionally difficult to differentiate between tigers in the forest environment."

I contintued. "Secondarily, to patrol specifically for hunters or poachers would in and of itself disturb the behavioral patters of the species the tigers prey upon, let alone their own patterns and habits, thus doing so on foot would upset the ecosystem to the degree it would reduce the sustainability of the breeding populations of the prey animals as well as that of the tigers themselves due to their natural inclination to avoid the unfamiliar - which includes humans. And then there's the geospatial factors as well."

"Geospatial factors? What's that gobbledygook supposed to mean?" the fellow grunted out.

"Well, tigers are solitary hunters because their prey species are so spread out that they would easily over-hunt any particular area if there were multiple tigers living communally the way that lions do. As such, their territories are literally hundreds of square miles apiece, with only border edges overlapping a bit - a mile or two at the most. So... that'd be a hundred or two hundred square miles of land for ONE tiger or tigress. Even simple logic says you have to have one animal of each gender to perpetuate the species at all, so that means two to four hundred square miles for two animals. But two animals does not make a stable breeding population as they'd soon be suffering from diseases of genetic predisposition due to the inbreeding of the progeny of the two base animals. Not to mention the fact that any of those cubs which would survive to adulthood would require territories of their own. So now you're talking at least another one hundred square miles a year just to take care of the grown cubs, presuming only two are born and only one survives to adulthood. But thus begs the question of "how many tigers does it take to make a stable breeding population?" The answer is that no one knows. Of course, the more animals there are, the better the genetic diversity, but just how low the bottom line is... no one knows, and no one wants to know. The reason being is that when we get to that level, it's truly sink-or-swim for the species so any pairings would do, even massive inbreeding, just to maintain the numbers that are left. But let's just say that number is 5 breeding pairs. That would be between 1000 and 2000 square miles of land to patrol... about the size of most New England states. And each year that number would increase by 500 to 1000 square miles just presuming only one cub per litter survives. If more survive, that number would increase accordingly. So, realistically the average tiger lives 6-7 years in the wild, making for 3-5 years of sexual productivity, depending on age at first estrus or maturity in males. So, even 4th-grade arithmetic shows that the land mass needed to sustain, let alone grow, a wild population of tigers is massive, and as a result nearly impossible to patrol in any meaningful manner even IF it were possible to do so without disrupting the ecosystem by the patrol itself."

"You're just saying all that to confuse people with numbers. It's possible to do, you just don't want to admit that!" the gent shouted. Some in the crowd shook their heads in dismay.

"Sir, I'd very much like it to be possible. It's not that I think all tigers should be in zoos or raised as pets. Quite the contrary - I think they have a very important role to play in the ecosystems they inhabit. The problem is just as I explained it - I, as an individual, and we, as a collective nation, can't do diddly-squat about it in any direct or profound way. The only REALISTIC way for us to affect change in another nation is to change our own social habits. If we quit buying things made in China - which usually are the cheaper items - we COULD affect social change there through the trade balance shift that would result. The problem is that the Chinese product - or Taiwanese, Korean, Malaysian, Thai, what-have-you - will always be cheaper based on the difference in worker-value systems at play in those other countries versus our own, and we as a nation tend to value currency in our pocket over sociopolitical issues, especially when we have limited funds to spend in the first place. And then there's places like the African nations which don't export much to the US and instead rely heavily on US support - both militarily and in relief efforts. What do we do to them? Threaten to not give them food unless they do as we ask? That would only serve to exacerbate the problem due to the fact that grazing land and fields are what is consuming the wild lions' lands to begin with. There are no easy answers here, unfortunately. And equally unfortunate is the fact that within our own United States efforts are made to reduce the number of "lifeboats" for these species, through restrictive laws and regulations limiting and many times outright banning ownership of big cats and other endangered species." I sighed. "Unfortunately, right as we speak some pip of a representative has submitted a bill to Congress which would ban all private ownership of big cats - that they'd only be able to be in certain zoos. This in itself would have a massively devestating effect on the CAPTIVE population's genetic diversity, which further endangeres the continuation of these species."

"Well, they're NOT pets! It's not like they've been kept by people for hundreds of thousands of years like cats and dogs! Those are bad enough that we've deformed and demeaned those animals to make them our playthings, but something as noble and regal as a lion or tiger... they CAN'T be pets!" The man was clearly distraught.

"Well... sir, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it. But equally so, I'm entitled to mine. I can speak from direct experience that big cats can make good pets for the right people and that they have been kept as pets by individuals for millennia, dating back to the days of Egyptian Pharoahs. They've just not been kept in the same numbers as those animals we now consider domestic. Now, just who constitutes "the right person" is a matter of opinion and debate, but they are just like having any other animal as a pet. The demeanor of the individual animal has to be matched to the demeanor and situation of the human. Just like with dogs, there are some that are energetic, others that are lazy. Some big, some small. Some more dominant than others. And then there's the variety of animals. Someone that's after a dog wouldn't necessarily be happy with a goldfish. Someone that's looking for a horse wouldn't necessarily be happy with a housecat. In my opinion, if you want a tiger and think you have what it takes to own one, it's my belief that you should have every right to try it out. And not that you have to PROVE anything beforehand. That sort of evaluation just doesn't work, because it's such an individualistic match, not something that can be measured by any meaningful yardstick." I smiled.

"But they're dangerous! They kill people!" the man exclaimed in a rather agitated manner.

"Well, yes and no. Anything can be dangerous, from the pistol I own, to my car... to even the vending machines out by the front gate. But all that danger is relative." I thought for a moment. "Earlier, you ridiculed Zack here for being up here with me, learning answers to questions he and these other folks had. Zack himself can attest that lions and tigers are not the bloodthirsty creatures stories and legend has them made out to be, and that they can indeed be quite amicable and... even friendly, desiring human contact."

Zack looked up, somewhat shocked I'd mention him.

"Don't be putting Zack on the spot with your lies!" the man exclaimed loudly.

"No, it's alright Mr. Connors!" Zack stood up. "It's true... he had Jake the lion - that big one laying there watching us - and... I got to pet him. He really was friendly and walked on a leash and everything!"

"Beaten into submission, most likely!" grunted Mr. Connors.

I shook my head and Zack continued. "No... there were no marks on him from any beating like you'd said I'd find. And... Jake didn't know me at all and still followed me back up here to his cage when it was time to put him back. He didn't fight or want to escape or anything. He walked ahead of me the whole way, leading the way."

"That's a violation of the law, Mr. Zookeeper! I'm going to report it!" Mr. Connors grinned impishly.

"Well, if things were as simplistic as you presume, you'd be right, Mr. Connors. But... again, you're missing a number of facts. Those facts are relatively unimportant to the context of the conversation, but you're welcome to report it. Our inspector is Peter Johnson, and you've every right to give him a call. It's every citizen's right to call authorities and inform them of something they presume is amiss or in violation of laws or regulations. However.... it's always best to get all the facts first before doing so, lest you step in something you didn't expect to find, like this situaton here." I looked to the crowd. "Mr. Connors is right in that it would be illegal for me to let any one of you pet an adult big cat, or interact with them in any meaningful way. This is due to a federal act passed by Congress a few years ago called the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, which prohibits public interaction with big cats over the age of 12 weeks old. This was presumably to prevent injuries from people like yourselves being able to interact with, pet, and be photographed with animals like our lions or tigress. Another part of the Act prohibits the interstate transport of pet big cats except under very narrow circumstances, such as giving them to a sanctuary or them being owned by a USDA inspected licensee. That meant that a lot of people had to choose between staying where they were at and still having their pet, or trying to find it a home in a sanctuary somewhere and purchasing another when they moved to a different location. This flooded sanctuaries immediately, garnering heavy financial support for all the "unwanted" animals they were being "forced" to take in. This in itself was a misnomer because it wasn't that the animals were no longer wanted, it's that they could not be moved from one location to another along with the owners."

"As a direct result of sanctuaries not having enough space, hundreds of big cats were killed because the owners could not relocate them to a sanctuary and couldn't move them with their family. That spurred the notion among those in politics that there were indeed hundreds of unwanted big cat pets which in turn provoked lots of local, county, and state laws banning or severely regulating ownership. It's a perpetual cycle of declining ownership based on flawed presumptions and lack of adequate understanding of just what the risks are, and the misinformation and half-truths about big cats perpetuated through the internet - the modern research resource that most of the time is not fact-checked."

"But they ARE dangerous! Numbers don't lie!" the gent piped up.

"Well, that's somewhat true. There have been deaths and injuries throughout the years. But you're right in that the numbers don't lie. If I remember Big Cat Rescue's site correctly, from 1990 to date there have been 138 deaths from captive big cats in the United States. That seems to be a substantial number, but in reality it's quite diminutive, as it's spread out over such a long period of time. According to CDC reports - that's the Centers for Disease Control, the agency that tabulates all mortality figures - for the year 2004, there were 4 deaths that year alone involving vending machines, 12 regarding police mistakes, and hundreds involving horses and dogs. So let's just focus on the low number of 4. Let's presume, just for the sake of argument, that 2004 was an average year for vending-machine deaths. 1990-2011 is 21 years, so that'd be 84 people killed by vending machines - about as many as have died from incidents involving big cats. But you can't really compare vending machines to a sentient being, so let's take police officers. They're supposed to be highly trained and intelligent humans, being able to size up a situation with reasonable speed and accuracy. 12 deaths per year from police errors - that'd be tasering heart patients, accidentally stomping into the wrong house thinking it's a drug den and causing heart attacks... that sort of thing. Or even just firing at a criminal and not hitting where they're aiming. Oops. 12 deaths a year times 21 years is 252 people accidentally dead at the hands of the very men sworn to protect and defend us. That's quite a disturbing number, and far more than the deaths by captive big cats."

"But people still are killed by big cats! They're a danger to anyone, anywhere! They shouldn't be kept because we can't make sure they won't harm people!" the man was shaking a bit as his convictions were challenged.

"Well, that's where you're plainly wrong. You see, not a single one of those deaths - not a single one of those 138 people - were just some schmuck walking down the street who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Every... single... one... was someone who VOLUNTARILY placed themselves in the proximity of the animal. That'd be people like me, or Zack when he was in direct proximity to Jake. It's not the people living in the houses surrounding the zoo. It's not people who live near the grounds the circus or the local fair sets up on. It's not the neighbor of the fellow having pet lions, tigers, cougars, or whatever. It's NOT the general public just living their lives, so that arguent just doesn't hold water. Sorry." I smiled meekly.

"That's a lie! What about those kids who got attacked by the tiger at the San Francisco Zoo a couple years back? They were just the general public!" The man crossed his arms in defiant confidence.

"Well, sorry, sir, but you're wrong again. Just like here, the San Francisco Zoo charges an admission. If you'd look at the back of your tickets, you'll see that it includes a warning of liability. Pretty much that if you do anything stupid like try to climb into the cages or enclosures you can be removed from the property and/or arrested. That sort of thing. It also means that when you entered the gate, you did so willingly. You yourself came into the fenced zoo putting yourself in proximity to these animals you consider so wild and dangerous. But there you stand, just like everyone else here, quite safe and up until this point relatively unconcerned with the potential risk you'd placed yourself in. Not to mention the fact that the three youths, one of which died as a result of the event, were not just normal visitors to the zoo but intended to cause some form of disturbance by their own admission. That disturbance, which many of us in the zoological community surmise was throwing firecrackers into the tigers' exhibit to agitate them, is what provoked the unexpected events that then transpired with the tigress escaping the disturbance she found terrifyingly troubling, by escaping the containment of the exhibit space she inhabited, and then reacting according to her instincts when the young gentlemen tried to flee the area." I sighed. "Many things went wrong there, and it really came down to the lack of understanding on the part of the youths, as well as a lack of behavioral knowledge of the officers who shot the tigress. In my opinion, that final part was unnecessary based on the various reports of events printed in the media that I read at the time, coupled with my knowledge of big cat behavior and psychology."

I frowned. "I'd like to say that such things could never happen here, but they're always a possibility because unlike the animals..." I gestured towards the cages "... who are inherently predicatable in most situations because their psychology and habits are known and understood, the habits and psychology of you, the visitors..." I gestured broadly to the group gathered "... cannot be known or depended upon simply due to the diversity of people we have coming through our gates. Their intents may be malicious, or inocuous. Intent to cause a disturbance or create a dangerous situation for themselves or others, or to simply have a pleasant day at the zoo with their children or even a relaxing lunch break from work. Unfortunately there will always be people that will create dangerous situations, whether by intent or by accident, and there's nothing any of us can do about it. That's just how life goes, and it can't be regulated nor legislated away. Safety itself is but a figment of the imagination because safety in practicality is always, inherently, relative."

"well, Mr. Zookeeper, I admit you said a whole lot, but you don't have squat to back it up apart from your say-so. I'm done talking to you, and Zack, I'm still terribly disappointed you'd believe this lying... " he looked around and saw children watching him and apparently decided to change his language "... person." Mr. Connors stomped out of the building.

I sighed a bit and smiled to those still listening. "Well, folks... you can believe me, or you can believe him. Or you can believe what makes the most sense to you. Zack here asked questions out on the floor there a lot like that gentleman did. Now, whether that gent will think about what he was told like Zack did, or just ignore it out of hand remains to be seen, but... for you folks that listened to it all, you decide for yourself. Research it if you like, talk to others, evaluate what you'd heard and see if it fits with what you've experienced yourself. And there's no shame in changing your beliefs in the face of new evidence." I smiled at Zack, who smiled back. "It shows you're able to adapt, just like animals adapt to changes in their environments and what they figured always would work." I looked around. "Anyway, enough of me being a windbag. Any other questions about things?"

* * * * *

"Do you think he'll really report you to the USDA?" Julie asked on our drive home.

I shrugged. "He probably will, not that it'd do him much good. Quite likely Pete will give me a call tomorrow or the next day and that will be the extent of it. Officially Zack was being shown about as part of the employment process, so... the zoo is covered. Zack being with me today, that's not so kosher but I doubt that'd even come up in the complaint."

Julie cuddled up to me. "I... I don't know, Jim. I don't want anything to happen to you."

I chuckled. "I don't either, but... it's not like I can operate the rest of the world by remote-control. I have enough to deal with as it is." I winked and Julie giggled.

As we pulled up in front of my house, I smiled as I heard the cats roaring out their greeting. They'd certainly settled in to life with me in a hurry. "Can I have your keys, Jim?" Julie asked, holding her hand out.

"Nope, not anymore." I said, shaking my head, which drew a shocked expression from Julie.

"W...why not? I gotta go pee!" she started getting a little flustered and concerned.

I smiled and drew a single key with a cast pewter fob in the shape of a lion's head from my shirt pocket, then dropped it into her still-extended hand. "How about using your own key?"

Julie looked at the metal in her hand, then to me, then back to the object, then back to me. She sure shifted gears fast from shocked to flustered to stunned surprise. "You really mean it, Jim?"

I shrugged. "You've been here more than anyone else has, that's for sure. You know enough where not to go and Peaches gets along with you reasonably. And that way I won't have to keep retrieving my keys from the front door!" I chuckled and winked.

Julie hugged me tightly. "Thank you thank you thank you." She was practically bouncing and then remembered and dashed off to let herself into the house to answer the call of nature.

I laughed some and Cleo looked at me cuiously. I smiled. "She runs off and I carry in the groceries yet again. Well... that happens." I got out and tipped the seat forward for Cleo to step out as well, which she did, her mommy-paunch nearly dragging at the seat now as she streched between the Blazer and the ground. I shut the car door behind her and grabbed some of the bags out of the rear cargo area before teetering up the stairs with my heavy load. I hooked one pinky finger on the latch for the screen door, which I soon would put the full glass storm plate in for the winter, and pulled it open enough for me to get my foot in, then wedged it open using my right foot.

Cleo padded into the house, followed by me, and I let the screen door shut behind me before kicking the main door mostly shut with my left foot as I went through into the kitchen and plopped the bags down on the kitchen table. I had fixed the latch on the basement door so there was no Peaches surprise in the house, I'd made sure that was repaired before the road trip so Jim Bridger wouldn't have had a surprise when he walked in the door, and I wouldn't have undesirable surprises when I returned.

I headed back out to the Blazer for the rest of the groceries as Cleo lapped some water from her bucket. I pulled the Blazer into the garage bay, and shut the overhead door. The rest of what was in the car was chicken for the bigger cats and that went into the mudroom freezer anyway, so it'd save me a few steps bringing it up this way anyway.

Soon enough I had the food unbagged and packed away, except for what Julie had bought to make dinner. I smiled as I saw the package of Gorton's fish patties and a package of hamburger buns in her bags. She had just came down the hall and through the kitchen doorway as I started getting the cats' chicken out of the refrigerator. "Would you mind letting Peaches out, hon?" I asked.

"No problem, dear." Julie smiled and went down the hall. "Jim!" Julie said loudly. "She's not in here!"

I dashed down the hall to look and she was right, there was no Peaches in the room.

I looked out the windows and smiled. "No need to be upset..." I pointed. There was Peaches, snoozing on top of the picnic table in the back yard, soaking up the last rays of the sun before it disappeared over the next hill.

"Oh, ok..." Julie looked relieved. "I was worried there for a moment. She's usually inside waiting to be let out, right?"

I nodded. "Usually. Perhaps she just thought the sunbeam was more inviting." I tapped on the window glass and she raised her head to look at me, then flopped back down. "I guess that's it. She's still alive, so that's no worry. If she doesn't come in after a bit, I'll go out and check on her."

Julie and I walked back to the kitchen and I moved to unbag the dinner fixings. "Hey... I'm supposed to be the one making YOU dinner tonight, remember?" Julie prodded me with her elbow.

I chuckled. "Ok, ok..." I winked and started putting the cats' chicken in their bowls. Cleo padded in and started munching on hers. I put Peaches bowl at the corner of the hall for her, then poured myself a tall glass of Mountain Dew and sat down in my recliner, turning on the TV to watch the evening news.

"So... Isn't your roommate going to miss you with you being over here so much?" I asked as I reclined back. Cleo was busy munching her chicken and Peaches decided to grace us with her presence once the sun went down, so she started in on her food as well.

"I hardly ever see her, since she's usually going out with some guy or another after work. She did wonder where I'd been when I packed the bag to stay here a few nights, but wasn't terribly interested in what I'd been doing or anything once she heard I was out with a guy. I honestly don't know why I bother. She never cooks unless it's for some guy she's using, she rarely cleans the place, and apart from when she does the cooking she never buys groceries." I could tell Julie was a little upset.

"You on a lease or just month-to-month?" I asked.

"Oh, it was a lease but it ran out a couple of months ago so now we're just doing the month-to-month thing. I don't really know why I bother, but it's not like I have anywhere else to go, and rents in town aren't exactly cheap...." Julie lamented as I heard her doing things in the kitchen.

She was right. Rents had skyrocketed since the recession started having people foreclosed out of their homes, and it wasn't helping that a few limited-duration works projects in the area started up thanks to federal grants, eating up more rental housing with their limited-term employees. I didn't have to worry about such things, thankfully, as I was technically outside the town proper, and even in a different civil township for tax purposes. I canted my jaw and wondered....

"Julie, could you afford a $100 a month bill?" I inquired.

Julie laughed. "Yeah, if I didn't eat at all or Jack gave me a raise, why?"

"Oh, was just wondering..." I said honestly.

Julie ducked her head through the doorway. "Ok, what are you thinking about? Sounds like you've got something going on."

I did my best to look nonchalant as I shook my head. "Oh, nothing really."

Julie laughed. "Now I KNOW you're up to something. Will I like it?"

I thought for a moment, tilting my head. "Maybe. I don't really know. In fact, I don't really know if _I'll_ like it."

Julie looked confused. I smiled and chuckled.

"What?" Julie asked indignantly.

I smiled broader. "Well... " I chuckled. "You like hanging around me, right?" I asked. Julie nodded. "And you like Cleo and the rest, right?" Julie nodded again, a smile spreading across her face.

"You... you're not thinking of...." Her expression was hopeful but wary. My smile gave it away and she squealed with excitement.

"Yes, you can move in... PROVIDED... you don't hog the little closet space I have, you don't complain about which position I leave the toilet seat in, and don't whine about the thermostat setting or that I have the TV remote. That and you pay a little rent to cover the increased expenses of two people here. Like... $100 in rent and $100 a month to cover the expense of me buying one of those containers for you to use as a storage unit for your things... unless you want to give them to your roommate." I chuckled.

Julie made a sour face. "Aww... no more freebie nights?" she asked.

I laughed. "Well, you've been around me for nearly two weeks solid so... guess since you haven't pitched a fit yet, you're good to stay more. That is, if you want to."

"I want to! I want to!" Julie was practically bouncing. "And I'm not the clothes horse that a lot of women are."

"Oh, and no throwing out anything without asking me first. That's a VERY big no-no around me, ok?" I chuckled.

"Ok, Jim. I promise!" Julie bounced back into the kitchen as the timer rang. I couldn't help but laugh as she was so happy, but I also wondered just what I was getting myself into. She WAS here all the time now anyway, and she just got her own key... Well, in for a penny, in for a pound, as they say.

Cleo decided she wanted to lay in my lap as I watched the rest of the news. She sat down near my feet. I nodded and said, "Sure, girl. Come on up." She climbed up into my lap, making me grimace a bit with her weight as she then sprawled herself out like usual. I pet her upper flank and sighed happily. Well, at the very least I'd likely have a live-in cook. I think I could deal with that...

* * * * *

Dinner was excellent. Not quite how I'd have made things, but that was alright, too. Julie had made Ore-Ida oven chips to go with the fish, and they were decently done, there were fresh biscuits, the fish-on-a-bun, and she had a can of soda from my stock of them. We ate reasonably quickly as we chatted about things, food seasonings, that sort of thing.

"Thank you SO much, Jim." Julie said.

"For what, if anything in particular." I asked.

"Oh, just.... everything. Letting me hang out here with you, and now letting me move in... and cuddle with your cats and... explore things...." she blushed a little at that last part, causing me to chuckle.

"It's alright, Julie. I just hope you don't get bored when nothing spectacular happens for quite awhile. That or get tired of how I do things, or get pissed off at me when I have a bad day or get grumpy." I smiled lovingly at her.

"Well, I'll try not to get upset with you." Julie smiled back.

"Even when it comes to sharing me with the animals? That's a difficult one, like I told you before." I sighed and hoped she was being honest with herself about that one.

"Even when it comes to sharing you with the animals, just so long as you don't mind sharing me the same way." Julie's expression spoke volumes and I leaned over to kiss her.

"I don't mind, so long as I'm the one human you come home to. I know it's terribly complicated so I can't expect to hold you to that answer, even if you were being honest with yourself when you said it." I gave her a squeeze.

"Well, you're right, I guess. But... I'm pretty sure I'll still love you anyway." Julie blushed a bit as she admitted. "So... dinner's done... what's the plans for tonight?"

I chuckled. "Well, I figured since I still had the gear here, I'd check Larry out tonight. I figure he's pretty well normal apart from having a knot and bigger cock than most lions, but won't know until I check him out the same way as I did to Terry."

"Will he... like.... cum from it, too?" Julie asked hesitantly as she cleared the plates from the table.

"I don't really know, but he'd probably be stimulated by it, yes," I thought out loud. "And even if not I'd rather collect from him anyway so I could do a count on him as well, just like I did with Terry. Why do you ask?" I looked to her, then smiled broadly, guessing her intent.

"Well, I was wondering if I could... uh... " Julie blushed deeply.

"If you could what, hon?" I asked, genuinely not knowing what she was fishing for.

"Could I... make him squirt?" Julie asked in her euphamistic way.

I thought it over... it was clear that Terry at least had been used to things up his backside stimulating him, and likely Larry had received similar treatments, even if just an experimental control animal. Both likely had things in them through the fence based on the way they positioned themselves with their butts against the wire or cage bars. I pondered... I had the EEJ probes from the zoo, the custom stimulators I typically left there also, and I had my personal set here and the electroejaculator unit as well...

"Well?" Julie asked as I noticed I'd canted my jaw as I thought.

"I think you could, but... I'm just wondering how would be the best way to go about it. And whether to make it something extra-fun for you, or... just you collecting him." I smiled at Julie.

"Extra fun?" Julie asked.

I chuckled. "Yeah, you've not seen all my toys and tricks just yet, hon. I think I still have a few surprises up my sleeve and in my toybox."

Julie blushed deeply as I pondered. If Julie was going to do the collection, I kind of wanted to video it. The question would be, do I keep it to being a simplistic video of her getting Larry to cum, or should I make it more complicated like an actual production movie.

"What are you thinking, dear?" Julie asked since I'd been quiet for awhile.

"Well, I was thinking whether you'd like to become a zooporn star or not." I chuckled. Julie blushed deeply. I continued. "Was just thinking it'd be your first collection and... that would be worth capturing for a memory. There's some ways I could make it more complicated, like a commercial production using multiple cameras and such, and even arrange some kinky stuff to enhance it all for both of you. I was sort of weighing those options. That'd be if you'd like to be part of the video." I smiled.

"Oh... uh..." Julie looked shocked but her blush told me she found it at least somewhat erotic. "That sounds like it'd be a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. Though... shouldn't we save that for some night when we don't have work in the morning? Then we can have as much sex as we'd like and not have to worry, right?"

I smiled. "Yeah, that works, too. Single camera, and you get to make Larry blow his load like that lion on the video you had fun watching."

Julie just blushed deeply as I got up. "Do you want me... in these clothes or... in my nightshirt or...?" Julie questioned.

I shrugged. "Whatever you'd like. Since it'd be showing the livingroom setup it'd be just for private fun anyway, or maybe very trusted friends. You can decide while I go get Larry and the electroejaculator controller."

I put Peaches away before I went out to the garage complex and poked around in the cabinets under the countertop in the vet room until I found my Siremaster Pro electroejaculator. I knew the cord was in the case with mine, and that the adapter for the zoological probes was in there too, so I just took the case and went back out the door, shutting the lights off and closing the door behind me. Setting it down in the hall for the time being, I went out into the machine shed where the pens were. All the cats came in and were prowling about, wanting attention. I scritched Jasmine through the bars, rubbed Hercules' nose, and rubbed one of Xena's ears in between Jasmine's back-and-forth rubbings along the barrier. Larry and Terry were excited, too, and Terry came to the gate when I stopped there. I unlocked it and let myself in. "Larry, come here," I said, and the other lion stepped forward. Terry roared a bit and tried to pass in between us. "No, Terry. It's Larry's turn to go in. Terry, back up!" I commanded and he stepped back a bit and sat down. Larry rubbed against me a bit and I grabbed his collar and clipped the leash on after a bit of searching for the d-ring. Terry sort of moan-roared a little. "Don't worry, you'll have time inside again sometime soon."

I led Larry through the complex, and he passively followed me. I grabbed the electroejaculator case on the way through the hall and shut the doors behind me using the hand holding Larry's leash. Just like Terry, he balked a bit as he stood in the mudroom, unsure about the kitchen, but Cleo was lapping at the water bucket so his apprehension was short-lived as he padded over to her and headbutted the lioness. Mrowling sounds echoed through the house as they sort of tussled a little over the water bucket before Larry started lapping some, too. He followed Cleo into the living room and Julie was there, just sitting on the couch waiting for our entrance.

"So... how do you want to do all this?" Julie asked as I set down the case by the others.

"Oh, I guess pretty much the same as last night with Terry, just that there'll be a little different ending." I smiled as I headed across the room to my desk. I pulled out the new camcorder and got a small camcorder tripod from the corner where the desk met the wall. I set it up and the lions sniffed at it as I did so. "Hey, no eating the electronics, you two!" I joked as I finished. Cleo flumped down by my recliner and I started setting things up by the sofa again, this time the microscope got set up as well.

Things proceeded with Larry much as they had with Terry, in I had him lay down by the couch, turned on the video unit and sat behind him, but not with one leg to either side like I'd done with Terry. I sat tailor-style, or as best I could manage with my large thigh and calf muscles, so I could roll out of the way in nearly any direction if Larry decided to object to the goings-on. Cleo was still over by the recliner and Julie started petting Larry's head. I put on a pair of gloves and squirted lube on the index and middle fingers of my right hand.

Larry looked back to me as I gently grabbed his tail and raised it, exposing his rear to my view and to whatever else I had intended for him. His instinct was to pull it back down, which hetried to a little bit, but soon enough relaxed the muscles. He tensed again as the lubricated digits touched his pucker, his ring clenching a few times against my fingertips before relaxing and letting them slip into him. He groan-roared softly as they slipped inside his moist back passage.

Just like Terry, he was somewhat slick inside and rather clean, too, compared to normal big cats. He shifted about a bit as I felt around as much as I could inside him. I pulled my fingers out and just like his brother his rear didn't want to let them leave. I couldn't help but chuckle and Julie just shook her head as I prepared the dildo-cam video probe.

Much like with his brother, the sci-fi movie played out on the two screens as I pressed the device into Larry. But unlike his brother, it didn't detect anything as unusual as Terry's boy-gina flap. It just showed the pink mucosal walls of what seemed to be any lion's backside. Larry was firming up from the actions in his rear and after a bit I withdrew the video device from Larry's rump. Again, he proved to be like his brother in that his rear was gripping the probe tightly in an effort to prevent its withdrawl.

"Nothing unusual with him?" Julie asked from the lion's front end, where she'd been petting his cheeks and rubbing his ears.

"Nope... I guess that apart from him having a knot and bigger cock, he's just a regular male lion." I said.

"So... what do we do now?" Julie asked.

I scooted back a bit. "Now, you get to make him cum." I smiled broadly and looked to the lion.

"Larry, roll over," I said, and the big cat looked back at me.

"Larry.... roll over!" I said more firmly. The big lion groaned a bit and then rolled onto his back. I gestured for Julie to come to Larry's rump end, then set the camera up at a good angle to see all the fun to be had.

"What do I do?" Julie asked. I started the video recording and opened the case with the electroejaculator and plugged in the cord and the adapter, then selected a polar bear probe from the case from the zoo, as I set about packing up the video endoscopy unit. I whispered in her ear. "Take the tube of lube, hold the probe a bit above his crotch so it's in the video frame, and squirt a little lube on the tip and start rubbing it around. Just a single drop would be fine."

Julie did just that, then looked to me. "Pet his thigh as you put it to his rear, the copper electrodes upwards, the center on his centerline. Push it slowly straight along his spine," I whispered. Larry looked down his front to us as he felt the contact to his slightly spread tailhole, then groaned out as the gray plastic was pushed forward, slowly sinking into him, his pucker clenching a bit from the coolness of the electrode bars.

Julie looked to me for reassurance and so I put my hand overtop hers as she penetrated Larry for the first time. I turned her wrist a little to position the probe just right. The electroejaculator screen already illuminated and reading "Ready - AutoTHROB". "Reach over and nudge the big knob clockwise just a very little bit to start the stimulation pulses," I whispered in her ear.

"Won't it hurt him?" Julie asked.

"No.. it's very little current. You'll get to experience it yourself sometime soon." I kissed her cheek as she did so and Larry wriggled about some as I could feel the very low-level squeezing his body was doing on the probe.

I checked the camcorder's monitor as I whispered to Julie. "Turn it up a little more." Now there was a very slight bobbing of the probe handle visible to the camcorder, and Larry was starting to get erect.

"Open one of the collection condoms and unroll a little bit. Use your hand to guide it over the top of his member and push his sheath down as you unroll it over his penis, holding it at the bottom for the time being. You can cup his penis in your hand if you like," I whispered. At which Julie blushed deeply. "You're doing fine." I whispered.

The dark pink flesh of Larry's member started being encased in yellowish-tan translucent latex and it started bobbing as I increased the power a little bit more. The probe's handle was visibly moving a bit as his insides squeezed on its thickness. Larry's expression was sort of blank except for his mouth being partway agape.

Larry's member kept thickening in Julie's grasp. "Keep turning the knob little bits clockwise every so often to increase the power... it'll be alright since I have it set on low. The more power, the harder his rump will squeeze on the probe and the faster he'll cum."

Soon enough his cock was filled out, knot swelling rapidly to seal himself into his mate, and his ass was clenching firmly on the thick probe within him, causing the handle end to rise and fall a fair bit with the current's gentle cycle. He was looking at us oddly and somewhat confusedly as the power was increased just a little bit more. His knot fully inflated I whispered to Julie, "Grasp his knot with your full hand and try giving it gentle squeezes. It should feel like a very firm ball. He should cum from that."

She raised her hand to encircle Larry's bulge and, sure enough, after a couple squeezes his body tensed firmly during one of the pulses of current and he arched up and roared loudly, his cock bobbing far faster than the pulses in his backside as he unloaded into the cocksock. Julie was surprised and stunned. I could see her hand was just holding Larry's knot as it throbbed. The pulses were still occuring as evidenced by the probe handle's movements but his butt was clenching in its peristaltic waves as well as shown by smaller twitches among the larger movements.

Larry seemed to cum a lot longer than Terry did, perhaps because of the electrical stimulus, and it was all captured on the video. Every throb, every blort, every ass-squeeze. The probe holding Larry's butt open widely. Eventually Larry's own ejaculations stopped which just left the probe bobbing. I turned down the power slowly and eventually it was zeroed out, just Larry's butt squeezing on the object within every so often. Julie started withdrawing the probe which brought about a whole different series of contractions, as though his body didn't want to give it up. Slowly it exited him, drawing his anus a bit outward as he birthed the remainder of the gray plastic penetralia. The copper bars shone as they came back out from his sphincter and then... it was out. His butt was relaxed and his anus agape a bit from the thickness that had been inside him. Small twitches occurred as his body once again closed itself off. I moved and turned the camcorder off, then went to Larry's side and pet his chest. "You did very well, Larry..." His cock was still enveloped by the condom, knot still fully inflated, or at least substantially so.

"Wow... that was.... so weird to do!" Julie smiled in amazement.

I chuckled and looked to her. "You did well, too, hon."

"I was just so worried I'd hurt him or do something wrong...." Julie blushed. "But then to see him... fill out like that and... squirt... it was just so weird."

I smiled. "So now you think a lion cumming is weird?"

Julie blushed. "I just never... made a lion do that before."

I chuckled and cuddled her close. "You did last night with Terry, remember? With your fingers inside his rear?"

Julie looked to me. "That's different. You were doing it too."

I gave her a gentle squeeze. "So did you like it?"

Julie blushed deeply and looked down at Larry laying sprawled spread-eagle as his thickness was deflating. "I wondered... what he was feeling. What it felt like to be... to have this done to him."

"Think you'd like to try it yourself?" I asked, curiously, as I removed the collection condom from his shrinking lioncock.

Julie blushed really red as I moved about and set up the microscope and densimeter, writing down my findings on the pad next to his brother's numbers. "I think... I'd like to see what it feels like. But... I don't know... it's just so weird."

"Not really, it's just a different way of stimulating a male. Would you prefer to do him with a strap-on, or an electric strap-on?" I grinned at Julie who playslapped my arm.

"You're sick." Julie said mockingly.

I put a drop of semen on the hemocytometer slide. "Sick... and ill, too!" I said in a demented voice which made Julie giggle. Larry looked up now and again to see what the two humans were doing to each other, but made no move to get up. I guess he figured it was quite comfortable where he was, especially after blowing his load so completely.

A couple thousand clicks of the counter later, I was cleaning up the equipment and handed Julie the used cocksock. "Looks like I was right and that Larry is just as fertile as Terry, who are both far more fertile than most captive lions." I shrugged and tore the page out of the notebook, stuffing it into my shirt pocket to enter into my computer later.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Julie asked, holding up the condom.

I shrugged. "I dunno... paste it in a scrapbook? Julie's first rectal probing?"

Julie just rolled her eyes, then looked a bit introspective. "It does seem a shame to just throw this out, though... thousands of potential little baby lion cubs just... tossed away like rubbish."

I smiled. "It takes a female with an egg, too, you know."

Julie looked at me for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, I know. It just seems such a shame."

Now it was my turn to be a little curious. "Something on your mind, hon?" I asked as I finished cleaning and packing away the equipment.

Julie sighed. "I saw a trailer for a movie on YouTube today... kinda made me sad. The Last Lions is the name of the movie."

I nodded. "It came out last year. Documentary about some of the last wild African lions."

Julie snuggled up to me. "It was just the beginning and a few other snippets... but just think that there's so few left in the wild. And there's not that many in captivity, are there?"

I shrugged. "Well, depends on how you count them but... yeah, certainly not as many as are wild, and not what I'd consider "enough" by any means." I snuggled Julie tight as she looked at the lion juice.

"It makes me wish I could breed as many lions as possible to replace them all... I know, I know. They're your lions really, and I know it's not practical, but... I still would like to do that." Julie looked at me and smiled.

I sighed a bit and smiled back. Damn it all, she knows I'm a sucker for a pretty face. "Well... There's nothing I can do with that sample in time, really, but...." I sighed. "I'll see about getting the stuff to cryobank these guys semen. And yes, Hercules too, if he's able to."

Julie looked to me curiously. "What about the girls?"

I shrugged. "It's not so easy freezing ova - their eggs. Now fertilized eggs - zygotes - those can be frozen fairly readily. But there're...." I just realized something... then pondered it for a bit.

"Jim?" Julie asked. "Jim!"

I smiled as she broke my concentration. "Sorry... you can't freeze eggs, you can freeze zygotes, but... I was just thinking of something I read awhile ago in a science magazine's online article. They realized they can trick an egg into thinking it's been fertilized by shocking it with electricity. Just what current and such I don't know, and I don't thing the generalized article said, but... that would effectively clone whatever female the egg came from."

Julie tilted her head, not quite understanding. I smiled. "Don't worry, I just had an interesting idea is all."

Julie nodded and snuggled up to me. "Sometimes I don't follow what you're saying, but so long as you know what you're talking about, it's alright with me. You know a lot more than I ever will."

I chuckled. "Oh, that's not true, honey. You know plenty of things, too. I just tend to remember more than some people is all."

Julie looked at Larry laid out there and snoozing. His member long since retreated back to its furry cover so he was just happycat, satisfied after sex. "Think he'd be ok in the house like with his brother?" Julie looked at me hopefully.

I shrugged. "I don't really see why not. So long as I sleep down here to shove him out the door before he anoints the furniture or walls with "eau d'leon"."

Julie giggled. "So... I should change for bed, then?"

I smiled. "Sure, so long as you don't run or bounce too much. These guys still have prey drives, after all. Cleo seems to not bother with that anymore, but she's an exception to most of the rules."

Julie kissed my cheek. "Thanks dear." She got up and made her way upstairs to get on her nightshirt.

I got up and got the binder with the DVD listings and queued up a few episodes of Modern Marvels to play, I set the TV's volume low and turned out most of the lights in the living room. I set out a sleeping bag near Larry for Julie to use, and then put my own nearby and started getting ready for bed myself.

Julie soon came down the stairs and looked at where I had laid out the bags. "Don't want to sleep with me, dear?" Julie asked.

I looked a little surprised. "I never really thought about it. You can snuggle up with me if you'd prefer. I just figured you'd like to cuddle with Larry."

Julie came over to me and kissed my cheek. "I like them a lot, but I love you, too, you know."

I couldn't help but smile as she moved the sleeping bag over to where I had mine laid out. "Besides, I like spooning," she said with a smile.

I laid down and she snuggled back against me. Cleo had gotten up and went to the bathroom, but when she returned she laid down and rolled against Julie so we were all snuggled together, except for Larry who was still piled up against the couch. I sighed happily and laid a blanket overtop the three of us - Julie, Cleo and myself. I wondered just what the future would hold for us as I drifted off to sleep.