Early Autumn At The Zoo

I went to the Denver Zoo this past Wednesday afternoon to take some photographs, and was happy to see that most of the animals, especially the primates, were out and about, lured into the open due to the more moderate fall temperatures we have been having lately. The monkey in the photograph on the left is able to head to an outdoor island with the other monkeys via an underground tunnel, but as you can see, it preferred to hang onto the bars of its cage looking pitiful, no doubt hoping to garner sympathy from zoo visitors who might help him or her effect an escape.

Four year old orangutan Cerah and big sister Hesty were both enjoying the day, hanging around their compound, as seen in the photograph on the right. Cerah was raised by father Berani after mother Nias passed away unexpectedly due to a heart condition. Hesty I don't know much about, except that she loves to cover herself in a large shawl and hide, pretending that zoo visitors can't see her. 

I was very happy to see that Kumani, the mother of 3 year old mandrill Kesi, seen in the photo on the left, has finally stopped holding on to her 24/7, and given her a little space. However, when I started taking photographs of Kesi, her mother ran up to the viewing glass, looked me in the eye, and slammed her hand against it - twice. What's the deal with that? Did she think I could somehow get through the glass and cause Kesi some harm? Or did she just want no photographs. For God's sake, even primates are now objecting to me taking photographs.

And, as you can see from the photograph on the right, when Kesi walked up to the glass to visit with that little baby in its mother's arms, mother Kumani didn't object at all. THAT I find highly insulting. The mandrills now get to decide which zoo visitors are okay and which are not? That is so wrong. It is definitely time for the Denver Zoo to hold classes on inclusiveness, and make sure every animal there has it as one of their goals for the coming year.