Snakes...Not So Funny

A few weeks ago, I visited a zoo in Oklahoma. I know what you are probably thinking—why go to Oklahoma for a zoo when I have one right down the street from me. This was no ordinary zoo, however, because it was an exotic, interactive zoo. Basically, some guy started this zoo a few years ago solely for exotic animals. To put it into perspective, the part had a hundred and twenty-four tigers, multiple lions, ligers (yes, like from Napolean Dynamite), bears, small exotic cats, porcupines, and snakes. If you have not been to this zoo, I highly recommend going. Not only do you get to stand five feet from massive tigers but also there is a portion of the tour when you get the actually play with baby animals. It was absolutely incredible. Our small group of about seven sat in a giant circle, and the instructor began bringing out animals for us to play with on our own. The instructor would walk from group to group with the animal, allowing each group to have time interacting with it. The first animal was a skunk (European skunk—not the ones that spray). It was adorable, but the next animal is what brought on an uncontrollable fit of laughter. The snake was approaching.

            The first group to receive the snake was a family of four. There were two parents and two little girls in the group. The instructor placed the snake on the backs of the entire family, assuring everyone that the snake was harmless. At this moment, the girl in the middle had a slight panic attack. The eyes widened, and you could tell she was NOT enjoying this animal. The look on her face created a sudden laughter amongst the entire group. The whole group was laughing hysterically. It reminded me of the superiority theory, where we laughing at the expense of another, but it was still hysterical. What happened next is what spurred the uncontrollable laughter. While the next group in line was still laughing at the little girl, the instructor moved the snack onto them. Immediately their laughter stopped, realizing how scary the snake really was. Their laughter and smiling faces molded into frightened looks and silence. Everyone else found this extremely funny, watching the family go from laughing to fear at what the family had been laughing about. The cycle continued. The next step was me and my girlfriend, and I admit we had been laughing at the others when the snake was put on our backs. The same feeling overcame us, removing our laughter and replacing it with slight fear. The snake was massive! Instead of becoming silent from fear, we relished in the humor of it all. The entire group was laughing, and we joined in on the fun. Yes, there was a massive snake on our backs, but we found it so funny how a group will be laughing at another group’s misfortune when the same misfortune will be on them in only a few seconds.

            The laughter was definitely contagious. Once the first girl’s face started laughter among the group, there was never a moment of no laughter. The laughing also made the situation a little bit easier to handle, seeing as we had a five-foot snake on our backs. Looking back on the situation now, I realized that the groups were not the only ones laughing. The instructors were also laughing uncontrollably. I have a feeling that the instructors thoroughly enjoy this part of the tour because groups must have similar reactions. From an outside view, I am sure this scene looked absolutely hysterical, watching groups laugh at others and then face the same animal seconds later, shutting down their laughter.

            The next animals were two baby tigers. It was absolutely incredible. I got to legitimately pet and play with a tiger. I will say, however, that the laughter never really left the group. I could tell that each member of the group was still thinking about the ten minutes of straight laughter that consumed each one of us.