The door slammed shut. A Bengal tiger roared, then sprang through the high grass, stopping only inches away. Before its mouth snapped shut, i saw its huge fangs.
"Grandma, i'm scared!" I shouted, tightening my grip on her hand.
"Don't worry," she soothed. "This tiger won't hurt you, not here in the virtual reality zoo."
Grandma allowed the tiger to sniff her hand. Gathering my courage, i stroked its soft, golden fur. The black stripes rippled in pleasure under my hand. It began to purr! I was certain it winked at me before we moved down the path.
Just ahead, a Siberian tiger stood on a snowcovered rock. As we passed, it fixed its solemn, golden gaze on us. It never moved a muscle, but i felt its eyes until we rounded the corner.
The landscape was dotted with tropical rain forests, grasslands, and mountains. We followed the marked path. A spotted leopard rested in a nearby tree. A sleek black panther stalked through the ferns below. A colorful parrot circled overhead. I laughed as it swooped down onto my shoulder. In reply, it gave a loud squawk.
I marveled at how real it all was. "All the animals live in their natural habitats," Grandma explained.
We continued on and came across animals and birds even Grandma had never seen before. I rode an elephant. Whooping cranes flew over our heads to clear, blue lake. Near the end of the exhibit, i hugged a baby gorilla. Suddenly, i felt sad.
"I wish they were real!" I cried. "Why did people let these animals become extinct? Why did people destroy these beautiful places?"
Tears filled Grandma's eyes. "When i was young,at the start of the 21st century, some people tried to save them. I guess too many people just didn't care enough."
Then she said with a smail, "At least we have this virtual zoo. Next time, let's swim with the dolphins and the whales.