NYT, via
nc links:
Aggie, the Dexter cow who spent her days beside the alpacas, sheep and miniature horses in the stable and barnyard at the Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn, has died of old age, zoo officials said. She was 18.
Whether mooing at startled visitors or accepting treats with her slimy tongue, Aggie was a crowd favorite at the zoo, often receiving notes of admiration and praise in her “moo box.”
“You are beautiful,” one read, according to a zoo official, “and I would never want to eat you.”
Tim Taranto, 26, a science teacher at Brooklyn Heights Montessori School, said his students would be devastated to hear the news; on a trip to the zoo last spring with fourth, fifth and sixth graders, he said, members of his class had grown fond of the animal.
“These are city kids — they have an interesting relationship to agrarian lifestyle,” Mr. Taranto said. “Every cow is a beast to behold.”
For me, it is hard to imagine a cow as a zoo animal, but I'm not a resident of New York. No wonder those ag vacations are popular with some folks. This part of the article made me smile:
Mr. Taranto said the school was making preparations to honor Aggie.
“We’ll have a memorial,” he said. “We’re anticipating some kind of service.”
Is it just me, or does this remind you of the Memorial Service for Li'l Sebastian on
Parks and Recreation.
Lil Sebastian was the first thing I thought of, too! Good call.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised about the memorial and service - news to the zoo and we assume they're doing at the school. The cow - and all the "barnyard" animals - are an important part of the zoo. Urban/inner city children have no contact with wildlife - domestic or exotic. You cannot imagine how many children have come upon the cow and had no idea what it is. Our barn plays a vital role in connecting children to nature.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear the zoo exposes kids to animals I have taken for granted. Keep up the good work, and if the memorial service would be held at the zoo, don't let them substitute lighter fluid for propane in the eternal flame (Parks & Recreation reference).
ReplyDelete