Day With My Daughter
NJ and I visited the zoo last Friday. It was a wonderful way to spend the day, especially since she “does the zoo” the same way I do. Which drives Brock a little bonkers.
We read EVERYTHING. All the little signs, posts, quizzes, etc. It takes a lot longer that way, but she and I have some fairly arcane knowledge between the two of us. Which will come in handy someday, somehow, I’m sure.
She seems to have some deep connection with monkeys. They were by far her favorite to hang out and watch (esp the monkeys in the nocturnal exhibit). The siamang was checking us out casually when we walked up (I mean literally, eye contact, long stares, the whole bit). When NJ did a little monkey dance, he actually came over to the window and sat down to hang with us. The three of us just sat there, separated by inches, just chillin’. When a huge gaggle of people showed up, it ended the moment, of course. They wanted to crowd in and so we left. But it was a cool Urban Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom moment.
experience
Whoa I used to have a zoo as part of the Theme park I ran .It was originally a zoo and then I changed it :o(( Zoos do have their place and in captive breeding I think there is the main reason, sure people can watch wildlife programs but television isnt smelly vision and for our kids to stan close to a siamang or chimp or Gorilla ,any animal, brings a new learning aid when teachers say such things as humans are related to apes, the smell of gorillas is something that I instantly recognise as is the smell of the brown bear, or grizzly, all experiences I would never have if it wasnt for Zoos. A little story for you (dont print this if you dont want to) My silverback male ( he had six females and several youngsters in his group ) used to sit at the fence and pick at the sunflower seeds we used to salt his deep litter with. The public used to take great interest in what he was doing and used to crow around to watch as he picked up these small seeds and conveyed them in massive fingers to his mouth. He never made eye contact with them and slowly moved along the cage fence with the public following him, to the pool where he would sit for a few, seemingly reflective moments gently wafting his great powerful hands in the clear water. When the publich had finished congregating to watch what he was doing, his shovel sized hand would cover them in water and he would make eye contact for a brief moment and run off (as much as to say , whose the fool then eh?)the nervous laughing of the public could be heard from the offices and used to make my day as he was having fun and so were they, if a little wet. in closing I hate to see magnificent animals in captivity bu to maintain the specis, there is no other way. its no good us saying there used to be a Tasmanian tiger etc as they are gone now (extincion is for ever) if we new that was going to happen then we might just have made some provision for them to be moved into a wild life reserve? but its too late now. I have a friend who has 70 plus chimps in very large enclosures and various groups that they have rescued from Photographers and small cage “pet owners” he has a program on the TV called monkey business or monkey life, His name is jeremy and they are at Wool in Dorset in the UK and its called monkey world. jeremy and Jim cronin originally set up the park. (regrettably Jim has passed on to a better life somewhere else but) jeremy and jims wife, alison now still run the centre along with their staff and one day hopefull some of their brood will be able to return to a “protected wild existance” but not for some years yet as they have all been scarred by their previous existance and are dependant on us humans for their sustenance. Woooow another rant sorry :o))
That reminds me of a time I went to the Calgary Zoo with my friend Hilary. Camille, her oldest was about two years old and the big male orangutan was smack up against the display glass. He turned and looked right into Camille and they had this connection. Her eyes as big as saucers she took a momentary step back and would have said, “WHOA!” if she wasn’t so well two and speech was difficult enough at that point.Hilary and I just sat and watched them, LOOKING at each other and the THING that passed between them. It was magic. I know Zoos aren’t PC but it is moments like that that make you glad you were a part of such a moment. That” stuff you take the time to read” is the what helps you win at Jeopardy!