Review Archive/January 2013
Updated December 28, 2012


North Carlina Zoo, Part II ^cont'd.
More Fascination!

By Jay Whipple/Trend Magazine Online™

It was at this point on my journey that I came across my most heart-felt story. It involved a primate named Kendall. Before I was given the scoop on this fascinating creature, I noticed that he seemed a bit discontent and bored with his current situation as he lay inside the bottom of a tree chewing on a blade of grass. All the while the other chimps were happily engaged in play with each other. There was this young lady also watching him and taking notes. Through her I discovered that Kendall is a retired entertainer that had grown too old to handle; much like Bubbles, the late Michael Jackson’s chimp. She stated that they usually work until about five years old before they are put out to pasture to live out the rest of their lives at a zoo or other facility. One major problem with this program is that these chimps are raised, from birth, by humans which put them at a distinct disadvantage when retired to a chimp community. That is so because they have not been properly socialized to interact with other chimps, according this young lady.

Kendall was born on May 31, 1999, and came to the North Carolina Zoo in 2007. Again, prior to that he had never lived in a chimp society and was fed candy by his handlers as opposed to a natural primate diet. In fact, he had to be trained to eat primate biscuits as the other chimps. In addition, he was placed with other calmer chimps for his own safety from the more dominant primates. The zoo personnel equated Kendall’s challenge to having to live with people that spoke a different language. In fact, they had never observed him climbing a tree or other structures provided by zoo keepers. He was not able to keep himself busy as other chimps because he was used to playing with humans. On the bright side, he is now learning to live with other chimps after five years of indoctrination.  I am going to make it a point to re-visit Kendall and update you on his progress in the next few years.

Well, it was time to head to the exit to catch the tram back to my ride which was parked on the other side of the zoo in the North America area. I finished all that I wanted to see at about 2:45 PM and with a start time of about 9:50 AM, which makes it about five hours including my 20-minute break at the Junction Plaza. I had to wait a bit for the Tram to arrive and it did right on schedule at 3:05 PM. I could have caught one of the buses but riding the Tram was a lot cooler, figurative and literally, because it was open air. The ride back was great because it allowed us to reflect on things that we had seen inside the zoo as it twisted and turned from corner to corner and sometimes over or under some of the zones.

All in all it was an excellent adventure akin to Pee Wee Herman’s trek back in 1985. I was taught a lot more about the animals that we share this planet with and managed to get in several days of work out as I walked from zone to zone and trail to trail. There was a whole lot more to see and do since my first trip out nearly 30 years ago and I commend the North Carolina Zoo and its many sponsors for preserving this part of our history.  Their map and trails were very easy to follow which made it very hard to get lost except near the Giraffes where I got turned around a bit.  The Africa section, in my opinion, was a bit more interesting and entertaining than the North American, so if you have limited time, I do suggest that you start on that side of the park.  There are quite a few fast food joints off the Dixie/Zoo Parkway so if you are still hungry there are plenty of places to stop on your way home.




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