“Monkeying” Around: A Day at the Copenhagen Zoo

Fun with my visiting host family!

Time has been moving faster and faster, and as the weeks get busier I’ve found it harder to keep up with this blog. But I’m dedicating myself to writing at least one post for every week that I’m here and to make reflecting on my experiences a priority. I just know that this semester will be over before I know it.

Three weeks ago I went with my visiting host and her two grandchildren to visit the Copenhagen Zoo. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the weather was just cool enough to be comfortable. My visiting host’s grandchildren, who are 15 months and 10 years old, had varying levels of excitement. Vera, the 10 year old, was excited to be back, while Caylee was…Caylee. She’s not quite old enough yet to speak, so the only way she expresses emotion is through babbling or crying, which she likes to do as frequently as possible (luckily she’s adorable so no one minds too much). As we waited in line for tickets, we gave her an animal book to look at to calm her down. What exactly was she upset about? The sun, the noise, the distant cries of animals? Nothing is certain.

The Copenhagen Zoo is great because it is 1) incredibly large and 2) has a huge range of animals from capybara to tapirs to polar bears to monkeys. As we turned the corner to the very first section of the zoo, I saw a dead horse head lying in the center of the enclosure. As you can imagine, I was a bit shocked, but the kids around me were completely unfazed. Perhaps this is because honesty is one of the foundations of Danish culture. Danish children are taught the harsh realities of life from an early age. While in the US we tend to avoid subjects of death (and understanding things such as where meat comes from or how animals eat), in the Copenhagen Zoo it was all out in the open.

As we wandered the zoo, the kids especially enjoyed the penguin enclosure and a demonstration with a seal lion who was trained to do several tricks. I have complicated feelings toward zoos. On the one hand I think they can be a great source of knowledge and information to allow kids to learn about animals and the world around them. On the other hand, I think they can send the message that animals are here as a source of entertainment. Having a seal in a tank, while sometimes sad, at least allows people to see an animal and to engage with the natural world. Having a seal splash water on a crowd, catch a ball, or wave its flippers teaches kids (and sometimes adults, too) that animals are here to entertain us. If we can’t enjoy animals as they actually exist, how are we supposed to care about the planet around us? But I’ll get off my soapbox.

After two hours at the zoo we were ready for lunch. I made my way to a hot dog stand where I had my first Danish hot dog. American and Danish hot dogs are very different, and I hate to say it but Danish hot dogs are just way better. My hot dog was piled with fried onions, pickles, mustard, mayo, raw onions, and some mysterious sauce, and it was absolutely delicious!

After several hours of walking around the zoo we headed to the “kid’s” section of the zoo just before closing. I say “kid’s” section because I refuse to believe that just kids enjoy meeting and petting goats! Caylee met her first goat and learned that it’s not a good idea to approach an animal and pull on its horns.

Overall I had a lovely time at the zoo. It was great to go to somewhere in Copenhagen that attracts both locals and tourists. As always, I loved spending time with my visiting host and can’t wait for our next outing together.

Until my next spontaneous burst of energy…hej hej!