by Evie Groch
He sensed the bumps along the roadway and couldn’t stay calm. Patrick had never experienced travel of any kind, but this transport in an oversized wooden crate carpeted with hay and lit by an undersized sunroof unnerved him and caused him to cry out in fear. The driver of the flatbed felt each cry like a stab wound in his heart, yet had no choice but to continue on. He had been issued a route to follow and would be stopping soon to let Patrick out for some exercise and food at a predetermined spot where someone knowledgeable would be there to help him and calm Patrick.
Necktie was also crated, but allowed to look out onto the roadway since his neck was so long. He towered over the other roadway vehicles, and his chauffeur had to plan a route with no low bridge or underpasses to go beneath. If Necktie was perturbed, he didn’t show it.
Nyack had it worst of all. Although the outer appearance of his crate had the trappings of a stretch limo, the interior space was cramped and smelled of disinfectant, an odor that panicked him. In the past, when he had been introduced to strange smells, Gordon was there to calm him down. He longed for that human contact and reassurance. Human company was common to him. But now, he was left on his own to cope. He began rocking to and fro so violently that it made it hard for the driver to stay in his lane on the roadway.
* * *
As the small private Toronto zoo was closing due to insufficient funds, it had to relocate its inhabitants. It reached out to the city’s larger zoo that was able to take in a variety of the smaller animals, but couldn’t accommodate the larger ones, such as pachyderms, giraffes, and apes. A farewell celebration was planned to bring closure to the fond relationships that had been established between the animals, zoo staff, and patrons. This bittersweet event brought out fans of Patrick, the 11-year-old elephant from Africa who had known no other home, Necktie the uniquely tattooed giraffe, and Nyack, the gorilla who was the oldest resident in these confines.
Families with children flocked to see these animals that sensed the sadness the children brought. Some youngsters were encouraged by their parents to wave goodbye to these gentle captives and offer them good wishes, while at the same time tearing up when they and the animals met face to face and looked each other in the eyes.
* * *
Gordon Lamport, the zoo’s 60-year-old director, sat in his office overlooking the zoo grounds. His shoulders drooped, and his eyes glistened as he recalled his impassioned vision for this facility. He had founded it with a generous grant from the Animal Welfare Foundation as a haven for rescued, mistreated, and impaired creatures who could never survive in the wild or in large competitive zoo settings without special accommodations. Gordon had never foreseen the day he would have to part with these creatures who had become his family. His loud sigh preceded his slow rising from his chair. He locked the office and headed out to greet the visitors, planning to stay late to pay his special respects and farewells to each animal individually. He walked slowly and deliberately toward the celebration, intentionally making the journey last as long as possible.
Gordon had worked tirelessly with the administration of the San Diego Zoo to convince them to provide a home for Patrick. He raised such interest in them, they agreed to fly out to his zoo to meet with Patrick, whom Gordon was certain would charm them with his caressing trunk and hip-swaying rhythm to pop tunes his keepers had introduced him to. He was right. He made sure Mark Ronson’s “Downtown Funk” was playing during their visit to Patrick’s space so they could witness for themselves his unquestionable ability to compete on Dancing with the Stars. Their wide grins and hearty applause only encouraged him and brought him over to where they were standing to nudge them to shake hands with his trunk. They fell in love with all of him, but most of all, his personality. Before they left, they had outlined the arrangements to convey Patrick to sunny southern California to his new home, with the stipulated condition that Gordon would have full visitation rights whenever he travelled down there. It was all agreed.
Necktie was offered to the New York City Zoo. His unusual ossicones (spots) formed a pattern of light and dark shades, unlike the even-toned tans and browns most of his peers had. This patterning caught the attention of the representatives of the New York City Zoo as they pictured the sizeable crowd he would draw. They even intended to keep his name, given to him by a child who wondered aloud who could help him put on a necktie if he needed one. Granting Gordon permission to visit at any time was a given and agreed to with pleasure. They also agreed to make any accommodations Necktie would require.
The placement of Nyack wasn’t so easy. Due to the history of alpha male gorilla territorial battles, no zoo would take him. Gordon even researched places in Central and South America. Aside from having insufficient funds to transport him across such a long distance, they feared the trip would compromise his immune system, causing him to fall ill. It would be costly to bring such a huge animal back to full health. He might also infect the other animals by introducing bacteria new to them. Gordon understood these were all valid considerations and had no convincing response to them.
Gordon started using all his social media skills to try to recruit a home for Nyack. He amassed a cadre of volunteers who spread the word beyond all borders and in various languages. Readers sent in suggestions of what he could do to entice providers to take him. Gordon followed their advice. He posted videos of Nyack on YouTube interacting with his keepers, playing games with them, and even responding to them with a few words in American Sign Language. Who could resist such a special creature? Facebook was filled with posts about him, and organizations such as PETA and SPCA were contacted as well.
After several weeks, only one nibble turned up in Gordon’s email. It contained several queries about Nyack. It came from the Rescue Haven Project (RHP), located in Oregon. They wanted to know Nyack’s age, weight, height, health vitals, and lastly, his temperament. Gordon sent them the requested information and then researched the facility, for he had never heard of them. What he found was a loving community that was multifaceted. One branch of it rehabilitated weakened or compromised animals. Another worked with AI to restore missing limbs and other body parts, and the third tested animal intelligence, stamina, and hereditary patterns.
The brochures Gordon received from RHP were high-gloss, rich in color, picturing animals like Nyack interacting with visitors and staff in a comfortable environment. No enclosures were visible – only open-concept designs that separated different species from each other. The text was small-sized and minimal.
Gordon decided to call RHP directly to ask a few upfront questions. The conversation didn’t bring as much clarity as he expected.
“I was hoping to fly out to the facility and see for myself what it’s like.”
“Well, Mr. Lamport, you would be welcome to visit once the agreement is approved and signed.”
Odd, thought Gordon, that this was the order upon which they insisted. It was counter-intuitive to him.
“What about visitation rights for me?”
“Actually, Mr. Lamport, we discourage those in order to help the animal sever past connections and bond with his new environment; however, once the animal has acclimated successfully, we could notify you and invite you to visit.”
Gordon had spent sleepless nights pondering RHP’s offer. His hopes of finding an alternate placement were dashed once the deadline was reached, and there was no other place to send Nyack. He was forced to accept the offer and dreaded facing Nyack for the last time knowing all this.
After the closing celebration ended, Gordon made his way to each of the three noble creatures to bid each one private farewell.
Patrick, as always, was happy to see him and grabbed him around the waist with his playful trunk. Gordon caressed the sides of Patrick’s face and scratched the tiny hairs protruding from under his chin. With tears in his eyes, Gordon explained to a receptive countenance that Patrick would be leaving to start a new life elsewhere, but Gordon would visit him soon to make sure all was well. He could have sworn Patrick was trying to console him as he sensed the severity of Gordon’s emotional speech. Patrick was nodding his head and then backed away a few feet as Gordon hugged him and left the enclosure.
Next Gordon met with Necktie, who bent down to lick both of his already damp cheeks. Gordon reassured Necktie he would be visiting him and reminded him to keep his chin up. He was certain Necktie smiled at his bit of humor as he offered Gordon a nibble on the top of his short-cropped head of hair.
Bracing himself for the meeting with Nyack, Gordon entered his enclosure. Nyack intuitively came forward and fully embraced Gordon for longer than usual. He sensed something was afoot. Gordon spent a long time with Nyack, stroking his back while trying to keep his own spirits up. He promised Nyack they would meet again one day.
“Goodbye, my dear friend. I love you.”
“I love you,” Nyack signed back.
Gordon forced himself to turn around and leave. Tomorrow the transports would arrive early in the morning to pick up the animals. Gordon planned to be there watching from afar, as he knew he couldn’t handle another farewell scene, especially in public.
* * *
Six months after the zoo closure, Gordon made travel plans to California to visit Patrick.
The San Diego Zoo had assured him he was faring well and charming staff and visitors alike. Gordon was eager to see for himself.
He was met at the entry by Sheila, the director who had signed the agreement with him.
“So, how’s my big boy doing?”
“You never told us what a voracious appetite he has.”
That response was music to Gordon’s ears. An unhappy tenant isn’t much interested in food.
“Any issues I should be aware of?”
“Not really, but we noticed he keeps sticking out his chin when we enter his enclosure.”
“Oh, that. I used to scratch his chin hairs there, and he probably misses it.” Gordon welled up hearing how this sign of affection between them wasn’t forgotten.
“Well, we can certainly attend to that. Also, we discovered he likes Reese’s Pieces.”
“How so?”
“He pulled one out of the shirt pocket of a staff member who came to visit him. Patrick refused to return it to him. After tasting it, he searched again in the shirt pockets and other pockets in hopes he would find more. Now every time that staff member approaches him, Patrick searches all his pockets.”
“How funny. He was always a character! Can I see him now?”
“Of course. Follow me.”
Sheila led Gordon to Patrick’s enclosure and told him to take all the time he wanted. She left him there. Gordon approached Patrick slowly, not sure what to expect. Would Patrick remember him? He needn’t have worried. When Gordon was about 20 yards away from him, Patrick bounded toward him and lifted him off the ground in a trunk embrace. It took a while to convince Patrick to put him down. Gordon reached into his front pants pocket and pulled out a small bag of peanuts which he opened and handed to Patrick. Patrick didn’t take it right away. First he searched all of Gordon’s pockets, and finding nothing else, accepted the peanuts. All Gordon could do was laugh.
After three hours, Gordon had to tear himself away from Patrick who stood perfectly still as Gordon gave him one last scratch under his chin and walked away. Their dreams of reuniting were fulfilled, but who knew if they would meet again?
The New York Zoo was a short flight from Toronto. Gordon had heard Necktie was right at home there and had become a big hit with his unique coloring. A fan club had been started in his honor, and local elementary school teachers were encouraging their students to write letters to Necktie. On a scheduled date, the letters would be read aloud to Necktie by the authors.
As Gordon approached Necktie, Necktie stood and stared at him. When Gordon was just a few feet from him, Necktie’s famous smile appeared, and he lowered his head to lick Gordon’s cheeks. Yes, Necktie was doing well. He spent the afternoon with Gordon and followed him to the exit when he left. He continued to stand there for a while longer.
* * *
A good eight months had passed since Nyack had been transported to the facility in Oregon. Gordon had waited impatiently to hear from RHP, but decided to contact them after growing anxious from lack of information. The messages he left for them were not returned. After leaving the last one, his stomach started to churn, and his daily diet became guilt, a guilt so pervasive, it made him consider an unannounced trip to their facility in Oregon. What reason could they have for ignoring his messages?
Before booking a flight to Oregon, he dedicated himself to doing deeper research into RHP. It was a challenge to go beneath the slick brochures on their website. He decided to google “Facilities in Oregon dealing with Primates,” and up popped Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC). It was listed as part of the National Primate Research Center System (NPRC), one of eight regional centers that engaged in testing and breeding primates for laboratories. RHP was listed as a contributor. When he read that, he swallowed hard, and color drained from his face. What had he done? This couldn’t be true. Also listed among charitable contributors to ONPRC and NPRC was Covance Laboratories, one of the three largest corporations responsible for supplying nationwide research centers with animals for testing and breeding. At times they were known to obtain animals from auctions, ads, and even animal shelters, like the small zoo he had run. It was then that Gordon realized he could not address RHP alone, and he contacted other major zoos across the continent to seek advice and support.
* * *
When Nyack had arrived at RHP in Oregon, bewilderment enveloped him. His state of agitation was so great, he had to be sedated and confined to solitary confinement. When he came to, he found an automaton in his space, speaking to him in English and offering him food pellets and bananas. He refused all alimentation and huddled in a corner, cowering at the words coming at him. He was not allowed outdoors until he acquiesced to accepting food from the robot and interacting with it. The outdoor area assigned to him was small, but contained a few trees with munchable leaves and a tire to swing on. It was a challenge getting him back into his space until he was moved to a more open area where he could see humans moving about. The majority of his interaction, however, was with androids.
Periodically Nyack was whisked away by humans to the lab where he was injected with various serums and placed in an observation chamber. Humans subjected him to irradiation, burnings, bombings, wounds, and decompression experiments. He was spared xeno-transplantation and research biology, but was subjected to experiments on AIDS, malaria, TB, Lyme disease, Ebola, and diabetes. When bots came to take him back to his space, he breathed a sigh of relief. The pain would cease for a while when he was away from the humans.
Nyack’s will to live was waning, but memories of how life used to be sustained him at some level. Although he was resigned to exist this way, a small ray of hope was still buried in his brain, a brain that his captors deemed not human enough to value or understand.
* * *
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Animal Testing Programs was inaugurating a new Director whom many hailed as a supporter of animal rights. His predecessor had approved subjecting animals to endless painful experiments that didn’t translate well to human studies. He insisted there was value in what could be learned from tests on all manner of weaponry on animals, from Soviet AK-47 rifles to chemical warfare attacks.
Gordon Lamport and his cadre of supporters had launched a letter writing and media campaign to raise the level of awareness of animal abuse in procurers such as Covance Laboratories and facilities such as RHP and ONPRC. His YouTube clips were going viral, and he got the attention of the new DoD Animal Testing Program’s Director. The letters from Gordon and his legions stipulated that primates have rich emotional and social lives and suffer greatly when confined and subjected to laboratory experiments. In the wild they live in groups, often with complex communication and social structures. Social interaction is so important for their psychological well-being that some primates choose companionship over food. In the end, many of the primates are euthanized. Included in the letters and media reports was the story of Nyack with photos in his prior home. The new Director was moved.
* * *
On a Tuesday afternoon, 12 months after Nyack’s transport to RHP, a convoy of federal and local sheriffs in official vehicles and vans from the DoD and Oregonian Highway Patrol, made its way down the road to the rural setting of RHP. Gordon Lamport still hadn’t heard back from the facility. He had previously flown to Oregon and traveled to the facility, only to have been denied entry. No one would even look at the agreement he had brought with him. But this time, with Federal authorities carrying a warrant, Gordon wouldn’t leave until he had been reunited with Nyack, if he was still alive.
Once inside the compound, the authorities demanded to be taken to Nyack’s space. Armed with weaponry in case they met resistance, they followed the lab assistant to Nyack’s place. Gordon asked permission to enter alone first. It was granted. He steadied himself, inhaled deeply, pulled his shoulders back, and went inside. Nyack was in a corner, next to a robot. He opened one eye and observed Gordon’s movements. Soon both eyes were on Gordon. There was no other movement from Nyack. Gordon approached in measured inches. Nyack sat and stared. Gordon signed hello to Nyack, but Nyack didn’t sign back. Gordon stepped back, while saying softly, “Hi Nyack, my sweet boy. How are ya? I’ve missed you. I’m happy to see you.” There was no response. Did he even remember Gordon? Maybe not. Gordon backed up even further and opened wide the gate to Nyack’s holding space, beckoning to him to come out. Nyack didn’t budge. Gordon sat himself on the ground outside the open gate and offered Nyack two of his favorite foods: bamboo shoots and termites. He had prepared them especially for Nyack and certainly had Nyack’s attention. After more coaxing, Nyack looked at his robot, as though seeking approval, and then took the robot’s “hand” as they both inched closer to the open gate. Gordon placed the shoots on the ground inside the open gate, and Nyack picked one up, examined it closely, smelled it, and gently nibbled on it, as if unable to let his guard down. Finding no ill effects after eating the first shoot, he tried the others, and then the termites. He hadn’t had these treats in over a year. Gordon could swear Nyack was smacking his lips, but Nyack was still ignoring Gordon, who was holding back tears.
The authorities had closed down the rest of the facility, and now only Nyack, his bot, Gordon, and the armed sheriffs accompanying him were left. Not until the bot stepped through the gate, did Nyack do the same.
After Nyack’s fame had spread far and wide, the New York Zoo relented and agreed to take him in, if he were still alive. Gordon was so grateful to them for that, that even if Nyack never interacted with him again, he was satisfied he had done all he could to secure him a safe home.
Outside the gate was parked a motor home renovated to house Nyack on his trip to the New York Zoo. The issue now was how to get him into the vehicle. Gordon was ready to accompany him in the motor home. On one side of the open door to the vehicle stood Gordon, arm outstretched to Nyack. On the other side of the open door stood the bot, also with an outstretched arm. Nyack had a choice to make. He intuited he was leaving, but he was leaving on his own terms. He sidled over to the door and took the hand of the robot that helped him into the home. Gordon looked at Nyack and said, “I love you, Nyack.” For the first time in this encounter, Nyack looked back at him and signed, “Goodbye.”
© 2023 Evie Groch All rights reserved.
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