Tiger Display in Houston Downtown Aquarium

houston-oct-4- 021, originally uploaded by srinidhilv.

When I visited the Downtown Aquarium in Houston, I was a little surprised to see this exhibit. This white tiger has been placed in neatly maintained and probably sanitized glass enclosure. The small enclosure has a fountain, platforms and steps for the large cat to walk around.

I couldn't quite understand why have installed the sculpture of what appears like a crude version of an ascetic sitting for meditation. And the Arabian looking pot in the corner coupled with smooth tiles on the floor, makes it all look so fake. I don't know whether the Aquarium authorities were trying to create the semblance of a prosperous Indian hermitage which has a pet tiger or what.

The final effect of this is that, though it looks cheesy, visitors especially children seem to enjoy it.

A small statistic I overheard at the Aquarium was that "There are more tigers living in captivity in Texas, than living free in India". That is indeed bad news for me, I wonder if conservation efforts will ever be stepped up and there will be more tigers roaming around the Sunderbans??? or whether they will be poached by Chinese, Bangladeshi and our own Indian hunters?? only time can answer this...

Houston Downtown Aquarium

houston-oct-4- 012, originally uploaded by srinidhilv.

This is the Houston Downtown Aquarium. The building looks quite deceptive from the exterior. Once inside, the visitor is transported into the exotic world of fish and other aquatic animals. There is a white tiger also on display inside. The interior is designed to give the feel of walking through water with aquariums lining both the walls and sometimes the roofs too. The lighting is set up to give maximum focus on the fish and lends an ethereal feel to the whole place.

Downtown Aquarium Houston

On October 3, 2008 we decided to checkout downtown Houston and since we had bought a city pass we wanted to visit the Downtown Aquarium, a place for children and lovers of aquatic life.

Old blends with New at downtown

Apart from the Aquarium we also saw some interesting spots in Houston downtown which I would like to share with you..

One of the large buildings in Downtown Houston

Downtown Sights

Giant cement sculpture in front of an office building

Road signs are impressive looking too

A large church in downtown Houston

Waterbody in front of the city hall plaza

Mural inside the Houston city hall

Another view of the mural

Another view of the Mural

Entry to a walkway along the river

River Brazos which passes through Houston downtown... dirty as ever

Old and new buildings in downtown

Downtown Aquarium

Giant Ferris wheel in the downtown Aquarium complex

Facade of the downtown aquarium building

Main entrance to the Aquarium

Beautiful fountain in front of the Aquarium

Entry to the downtown Aquarium

There is a white tiger inside the Aquarium

Catfish.. visitors can touch and feel them