Wild Lives: A History of the People and Animals of the Bronx Zoo

Wild Lives: A History of the People and Animals of the Bronx Zoo — page 7
Zoo-goers crowd around the bear dens on Opening Day The drivers parked outside the gates and the excited guests stepped out Women in their long skirts and fancy hats men in dark suits and derby caps rushed in and gathered for the opening ceremonies The speeches were brief and the crowds were soon staring in wonder at the bears in their new dens and pressing to get a look at the buffalo elk and caribou in their pens Boys in knee pants and woolen socks hurried to see the storks and pelicans in the Aquatic Birds House Girls in short frilly dresses gasped at the alligator and python in the Reptile House Never had the visitors seen so many strange and fascinating creatures in one place As the years went by New York City grew its skyscrapers blocking out forest and sky the din of its trains and horseless carriages drowning out the songs of birds New Yorkers came to consider the Zoo up in the rural woodsy Bronx a pleasant diversion from the pressures of city life Although zoo-goers enjoyed the excitement excitement of seeing unfamiliar or exotic animals few inquired about the