GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — People stopped John Ball Zookeeper Jackie Wolfinger-Zellinger, more than once on Monday. They were wondering what the animals might do during the eclipse.
The answer, unfortunately, is a disappointing one. Not much happened with the animals. A spider monkey scratched his armpit, normal spider monkey behavior. The lions didn’t let out a roar. There wasn’t much of a peep out of any of the animals. That’s exactly what Wolfinger-Zellinger expected.
“Today is pretty much business as usual for us. We don’t anticipate a lot of reaction from the animals,” Zookeeper Jackie Wolfinger- Zellinger said.
Any reaction from the animals was minor. Unlike the eclipse, which was clearly visible with solar glasses, any changes with the animals weren’t noticeable by the naked eye.
“It might be more of like a dusk, or early morning for them, so they might act a little bit like they’re getting ready for the end of the day or getting up in the morning. We don’t expect to see much different from them,” Wolfinger-Zellinger said.
Wolfinger-Zellinger noted that the songbirds did get quiet as the eclipse unfolded. That was about the only difference.
Still, it was a gorgeous day at the zoo. People’s eyes were glued to the sky watching the phenomenon.
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