This Zoo Is Pooh

I work in a petting zoo and “wildlife experience” park that has a variety of animals from around the world.

Child: “Mom, what’s that?”

Mom: “That’s a deer, honey. You can tell by the ears.”

Me: “Actually, ma’am, that’s a kangaroo.”

Mom: “My son is young, but he’s old enough not to believe in that stuff! You don’t have to pretend!”

Me: “Uh… what do you mean?”

Mom: “I know kangaroos are fun make-believe animals for kids, like in Winnie The Pooh, but he doesn’t need to be lied to like that.”

Me: “You think that kangaroos are… are make-believe?”

Mom: *Now sounding a little unsure.* “Well, they are!”

Me: “Ma’am, they’re very much real. That is one right there. They’re not native to the USA, but they are a real animal, and we have a few here in the zoo.”

Mom: *Shuffling her child away.* “No, no, no! They’re made up, like all the animals in Winnie The Pooh! Stop lying to children!”

As they move away to another section of the zoo, my coworker says:

Coworker: “When she gets to the donkeys, pigs, and owls, she’s going to blow her mind…”