Part 4: Preparation for Inspection

Summary:

This week's section starts with the recovery of Katherine's death and getting back into the crazy challenges of the zoo. Benjamin has to resume his role and only again deal with all the problems coming into the zoo. There is not one thing that doesn't remind him of his lovely Katherine. The main problem the zoo is faced with is the restaurant. Nothing works and everything has to be replaced. More difficult decisions are thrown his way when the zoo has to get rid of two jaguars. They find a great zoo to take and care for them, but when they arrive, the employees are doubtful of the knowledge of the new keepers they are leaving their animals with. They bring two old wooden crates to carry the big, strong cats in. The first jaguar makes it in the van okay, but the thrill really starts when the next cats is taken. The second jaguar starts to gnaw through the mesh of the crate and they have to think fast. They quickly find a sheet metal and slide it through, blocking the broken wired mesh. The next transfer they have to make is the female tiger. While moving this dangerous cat, who was put to sleep with a dart gun, she wakes up. This scares everyone, but she is darted once more and is put back into a sleepy daze and is able to be lifted to continue the journey to the van that will take her to a different zoo. The endless list of duties continues when they have to find a place to keep the monkeys so they can repair their enclosure, which is also successfully accomplished. With all of this on Benjamin's plate, he barley has time to breath. 

Review:
I thought this part of the book was very confusing. There was so many things happening constantly and I feel that it was not set up in an organized fashion. The content was good, but the order is something I would have definitely changed/ rearranged. Over all, despite the order, this section was gripping and entertaining. I love all the inner dialog and detail he includes. I would highly consider reading it again for better understanding of the text. 

Focus: Evaluate the Pros and Cons of the Zoo

Pros: The zoo is definitely Benjamin's passion. It is something he really enjoys despite all the challenges. Benjamin's love for animals is endless and the zoo is a great place for him to be. The zoo has been Benjamin's dream and he gets to live that dream with his family, which brings them all very close. The zoo also played a big part in helping the whole family get over Katherine's death. This was a very devastating thing to deal with, but the zoo responsibilities kept moving along and they had to jump back in it all.

Cons: The zoo causes so much stress. There are many requirements that have to be met in order to open a zoo. Money is a big issue for the Mee family. They spent everything they had on buying the zoo alone, they had no money to pay for the monthly costs of owning the property, caring for the animals, and paying the employees. Also, the zoo was very rundown to begin with and with no money, it's complicated and difficult to make all the repairs that are necessary. There have also been some animal escapes, which are very dangerous. Another problem they have is the old reputation of the zoo. They really have to work hard to fix the damaged reputation which puts a lot my pressure on Benjamin.