'wild' animals on the way to Alex

Yesterday I went for a day trip to Alexandria. On the way up the road my friend,Sherif, and I decided to stop on the road at 'Lion Village'.

It was the most bizarre restaurant I have ever been to. We didn't eat, but we walked around the grounds.

They have the strangest assortment of animals I have ever seen together in one place.

Lions, to chickens,

tigers to monkeys,

ducks to hyenas,

cats to tortoises,

turkeys to vultures,

dalmations to lamas,

'toy' dogs to reindeer.

I didn't ask- but I suspect that they breed the pedigree dogs in order to fund the keep of the other animals. I couldn't really workout otherwise why so many dogs of different breeds-and almost all with puppies.

All the animals looked healthy to me ( although I am no expert on the matter!) apart from a couple of the monkeys which were repetativly pacing their (very small) cages.

The big cats looked very healthy- but sad... and again, in really small cages.

The Lions were also in heat. I have never heard a sound in my life like the mating call of a lion- a roar which goes through your stomach like thunder!!!

They do a tourist 'circus' show with the lions for coach loads of tourists... and a group of koreans were there the day we were. We didn't watch the show though- so I couldn't tell you what went on.

The restaurant is reasonably priced- and worth a day trip out in its own right aswell as a fabulous way to break up the trip to Alex.