This guy is worried about his future, and with good reason.
So is this guy.
And this guy knows that outside a zoo, his options aren’t so good and likely involve a side of french fries.
No one on the planet can escape this recession. The econommic impact to the Bronx Zoo and other museums, both living and still life, has been devastating, and now animals at the Bronx Zoo are losing their jobs. Today was our first visit for 2009 (we’ve been members since 2006). We went because Anna wanted to see the new baby giraffe, a shy female named Margaret who was born in February and spent a gorgeous sunny afternoon loitering behind a tree. (I had hoped the giraffe would have had some exotic Swahili name that meant something like “Renewed Hope” or something beautiful–not the name of someone you would run into at the country club.) The animals aren’t banging empty tin cups on steel bars yet, but signs of cutbacks were evident–exhibit closings, fewer free parking passes given to members, and no sky ride.
Clearly, everyone deals with pressure differently.
Others try not to dwell on the past but instead look to the future.
And some, including myself, like to work off stress and anxiety with a relaxing swim.
The zoo has been a mainstay of Anna’s childhood and education. No doubt it has fueled her curiosity about the natural world while instilling a sense of compassion toward all living things.
Everyone is tightening the belt and I know our annual $120 family membership is just a drop in a very empty bucket. However, I do hope zoos all around the country and the world find the resources they need to keep going. For what it’s worth, zoos can count on us returning year after year.