Noah's Ark: Wouldn't it Stink? (Lighthearted)

zlyssa2 said:

NOTE: This thread is not for a discussion of whether Noah's ark literally existed or did not. Also, I'm rather new to these forums, so if this is the wrong spot for this thread, feel free to move it, mods .

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Most Christians were taught the story of Noah's Ark as a child. Many were fascinated by it, but few bothered to think about the logistical details.

As an adult who now works at a zoo (in large part as a cage cleaner) in pursuit of my zoology degree, I have a WHOLE new perspective on the story. Most pet owners have some experience with the...more unpleasant parts of caring for animals. I knew zoo work would be dirty work, but this didn't deter me from going in and getting my hands dirty.

What I wasn't prepared for, at least not at first, was that cat and dog waste was NOTHING compared to some of these animals. Some examples? The smell of fresh tiger feces, up close, is just astounding. I have a strong stomach, and it can literally make me feel sick at times. Male foxes, especially during mating season, have musky, territory-marking urine that doesn't wash out of anything with a choking stench that could gag a maggot. My love for animals has not vanished, but I didn't know they could be -that- smelly until I started working at a zoo!

So think about the situation on the ark! I can barely stand the smell from some of the big cat enclosures - and again, I have a strong stomach and they are cleaned fairly regularly. Can you imagine being on a boat with over 50 big cats (there are at least 25 species of them, 2 for each gender), and hundreds of other animals? I'm really not sure how anyone could handle the smell. It wouldn't matter how diligently you cleaned up after them or how you managed the waste. The ark would have absolutely reeked. And I'm not talking about something that "smells like dog poop" here. I'm talking about a smell that would instantly induce nausea in almost everyone on that boat.

So...what do you think? Whether the story is true or not, I thought this was an interesting side to consider. Do you think God blocked Noah's nose up to protect him? Was the smell all part of His divine plan?

Thanks for reading!

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