Ariella Scott: Observation 2

The most impressionable aspect of my Lincoln Park zoo experience was when my group and I visited the Ape House.  I was struck by the fact that the apes behind the glass had their backs turned to us as their viewers.  There was one ape, a female who was lying on her stomach staring out one of the glass windows where no one was standing.  We walked over to her and put our hands on the glass and made eye contact with her.  I felt a somberness in her stare, that felt so completely human that I could not shake.

I then thought about how we as humans are apes, of course, and that maybe this extremely close link to these creatures and I is why I felt that connection.  As we kept staring at each other, she soon turned around and I could not help but feel extreme empathy for her as I felt she and I shared the same humanity.

This could be complete projection, of course.  However, in my research I found that it may not be completely.  I suppose what I found most compelling about my research is that the African Ape, like those that left such a major impression on me at the zoo, migrated from Europe to Africa a good 23 million to 5 million years ago.  Apparently, the apes, many of which came from Austria and Turkey were in search of lush jungles and vegetation which the African climate harbored.  Apparently, these early apes strongly resemble the modern African apes as they have similar teeth and other features including alike sinus glands. This is such a small connection, but somehow makes me feel closer to the ones at the zoo all the more.