Something Tells Me It's All Happening at the Zoo

After seeing a disturbing video of a raft of otters drowning a single monkey in an indoor exhibit at the Bronx Zoo back in 2007, I felt compelled to check on the animals post isolation.  The day was cold and drizzly but the park was empty so we basically had it to ourselves.  This provided some eerie as well as magical moments.  The animals tend to be more lively on brisk days.  The park itself is somewhat spooky in October, and what with the weather, the Pandemic and 2020, it was downright eerie.  I felt disoriented, as if I found myself in the middle of a dream, walking down empty paths, lost at times but the exhibits seemed to just appear out of the fog of wet greenery.  The old abandoned Lion and Monkey Houses although beautiful, give off a haunted vibe.  They're no longer used, so you walk past them to see the seals who are all by themselves at the end.   

Lots of the animals just do their thing but some seem like they're dying to interact.  The birds were super vocal.  The reptile house was so dark and abandoned that I imagined some crazy person hiding in the corners, so I rushed through.  There was a disturbed young girl in the primate enclosure talking to the monkeys right out of Central Casting.  She was pressed up to the glass showing them her lipstick and announcing each item in her purse by brand and color as she emptied it out, never stopping to take a breath.  She had a very unsettling vibe to her, so even though the monkeys are my favorite, we moved right along.  

At one point it began drizzling rain and we were rushing to find the Dancing Crane Cafe when we stumbled back upon the lions.  With no one around, a male was pacing and he began roaring to our delight.  He had this look for a second like he contemplated jumping that small trench that separated us.  

Unfortunately, the Leopard had that same look, frantically pacing back on forth on this high log.  I'm sure it's super irritating being taunted by a bunch of snot-nosed kids but I hope the animals aren't more stressed with minimal visitors around.  

The giraffes I've learned are super curious.  They like to come and take a look at you, which really takes you by surprise. They were outside busy hanging with the ostrich's but one did walk across the way to stand directly in front of us.  I took the moment in instead of snapping a pic.

There was this whole shakeup with the gorillas.  The big silverback came out of the blue and pushed and punched one submissive guy in the arm. The big gorilla seemed very upset.  Then the ape held and rubbed his arm as if showing the group he was hurt.  The whole pack retreated to a cave before coming back all at once in a line from the other side of the exhibit.  They stood in a circle as if they were having a meeting or there was to be some big decision made. 

Veggie Panini and a Double Cheeseburger 

The Bronx River runs through the park.  You'd never know you were right in the midst of this giant metropolis. 

The Rhino's are masked