I have to say that the monkeys and apes seem to be the most intelligent animals at the zoo. Whenever I take a photograph of them, you can almost see the pain of being incarcerated in their eyes. The other animals are different. The lions and tigers and other big cats just seem to be sizing you up for dinner, while the giraffes and zebras just spend the day eating, without a seeming care in the world. But you just know that the little guy in the photo on the left realizes he is in there for life.
The same thing can also be said for the mandrill in the photo on the right. This guy and his fellow mandrills often are kept in a much larger compound where they can hide in trees or behind foliage, but once in a while they are put in a smaller cage just adjacent to the main compound, which for some reason makes them more willing to interact with zoo visitors. You also know this mandrill knows he has a life sentence hanging over his head, and that he holds you - the zoo visitor - personally responsible. I am pretty sure if he ever got out of there he would go for the jugular with his sharp teeth. It would, of course, make for a great photo - if you were able to escape, that is.
However, it is a totally different story with the monkey on the left. I am pretty sure he is smoking a joint. The expression in his eyes says it all. Marijuana is legal here in Colorado, at least for people, but I guess there is no reason why animals, especially these sad and bitter monkeys, shouldn't be allowed to partake. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, after all (I just thought that expression up. Feel free to use it). In any case, perhaps the Denver Zoo is testing marijuana out with this monkey, and if the results are good, it will be expanded to other animals showing signs of depression. It is certainly better than releasing them all and letting them take out their frustrations on zoo visitors. I suppose.
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