CELEBRATING THEIR MEMORY A personal account by Rick Barongi, Zoo Director Unlike Mickey Mouse and his imaginary cohorts, zoo animals
Like joy and sorrow, life and death are emotional partners
are real and have finite life spans. One of the most difficult
that are intertwined so as to reinforce each other. There
aspects of working in a zoo is dealing
would be no real joy without ever hav-
with the loss of a favorite animal. The
ing experienced sorrow and vice versa.
loss of a loved one is never easy, but
There has to be a point of reference in
in time that emptiness is replaced
order to appreciate something or some-
with special memories that continue
one. While that may sound a bit prosaic,
to enrich our lives and much more.
the reality is that we humans have a unique, almost miraculous capacity to
Since dealing with the death of a
transform our feelings for a special in-
loved one is such a personal experi-
dividual towards helping others that we
ence, I can only explain it from my
Long-time volunteer Toni Noble gives a tribute to Mac.
do not know. We can better sympathize
perspective. I have a picture in my of-
with the plights of others due to a loss
fice of a dog I once had. His name was
that is more personal.
Barkley. Barkley was a big lug of a yellow lab who never met a person he
A case in point – the tragic loss of Mac
did not like. He was taken from us far
was extremely difficult for all of us, but
too early, due to an aggressive form
during his two years he was a great am-
of cancer. The first few days after he
bassador for his species. He touched so
was gone, I cried when I looked at his
many of us with his endearing antics, which in turn inspired his admirers to
picture. Then, as time passed, I began to smile every time I looked at that
Attendees at Mac's memorial
learn more about elephants and support conservation efforts. We will never for-
photo and remembered all the good times we shared. It also helps that we have his son, Apollo, to
get Mac, but nature (biology) provides new beginnings. We
carry on the legacy. This "circle of life" mentality is pretty much
can look forward to more elephant calves in the future, as
how most zoo people deal with animal deaths.
well as giraffes (like Miles, our new male giraffe) and many other species.
If we were to mourn a personal loss forever, we would never be able to move forward with our own lives. Instead, we learn to
So, when we lose an animal at the Zoo it is OK to be sad and
cherish the memories and celebrate their lives and the impact
grieve, but it is also OK to use the memory of that animal to
these great animals had on others. In the case of Zoo celebri-
move forward in helping those that are still with us. Every
ties like Mac (or Bu the rhino and Roscoe the sea lion, to name
animal should have a legacy that transcends their life at the
a few), we learn to grieve with both our hearts and our heads.
Zoo. We are not doing our job as wildlife conservationists if
We have this dual personality, or right and left brain rationale,
our visitors do not care about our animals almost as much
that allows us to care deeply about a personal tragedy, but
as we do. At the same time, the memory of a particular ani-
appreciate the bigger picture. These Zoo superstars inspired
mal should commit us to greater efforts on behalf of their
millions of people to care more about their species as well as
living brethren, in both zoos and the wild. Of course, we will
the conservation of their nameless counterparts in the wild. If
always have new arrivals to carry on the “goodwill ambassa-
these animals were never born, as some fringe groups would
dor� role of our departed friends. This cycle of life is the very
advocate, we would lose a powerful motivating tool that no
essence of zoos and illustrates the critical role they play in
wildlife film or animated caricature could replace.
reaffirming our compassion for all living things.
WILDLIFE
WILDLIFE | SPRING 2009 |
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