I recently discovered a television show on The Animal Planet channel called “The Zoo.” It’s filmed at the Bronx Zoo in New York and goes behind the scenes to show viewers what it’s like to interact with and take care of over 6,000 animals residing at the zoo. According to the Bronx Zoo website, Central Park Zoo, New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and Bronx Zoo form the Wildlife Conservation Society. These five zoological parks are dedicated to “connect[ing] people to animals and nature and inspir[ing] them to care about conservation.” Thanks to this show, I am inspired, connected and completely addicted.
Watching the zookeepers tend to their charges, I couldn’t help but think about my two cat boys and how comforting they’ve been during this pandemic. They don’t understand what’s going on, but they know that I’m home a lot more, and for that they appear happy, and dare I say, grateful? Well, grateful is probably a stretch, but I do know that we’ve had more time to bond, and for that I am grateful. My four-legged kids can sense when I’m on edge (a not uncommon occurrence right now), and by way of ankle rubs and soft paw pats — purring helps, too — they soothe jangled nerves while melting my heart a little bit each time.
I bring all of this up because there are some great reads about animals and their connections with humans. While we’re starting to see more and more signs of hope during this pandemic, it’s still out there, and it’s still stressful. Perhaps reading about animals would help — maybe a bit or even a lot — reminding us that while our lives may feel scary and unsettled, animals have the power to keep us grounded.
I hope you find something to enjoy in today’s animal-themed reading list.
“Animals are such agreeable friends — they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.” – George Eliot
