Too Close For Comfort
Noah felt his stomach twist into a knot; the orangutans were roaring at the animals he had put into their enclosure. He thought that they were friends. Could it be that he was wrong?
His pulse started racing as the crowd gasped. One of the orangutans approached the timid animals and got way too close to comfort. Then something happened that had huge implications on Noah’s entire career as a zookeeper.
Pairi Daiza Zoo
The Pairi Daiza Zoo is the biggest zoo in Belgium. It has the widest variety of animals, and people go to see exotic animals they normally wouldn’t be able to see in real life.
Groups from all across Hainaut, the province the zoo is located in, to look at the unique animals that the zoo and botanical garden can offer them. But one day the customers saw something that they couldn’t believe.
Noah Maes
Noah Maes was a humble man living in Wallonia, Hainaut, Belgium. He had a passion for animals ever since he was young. He had an undying love for his pets which he had plenty of. Growing up, he had three dogs and three cats. His parents taught him to always be kind to animals.
In his adult life, Noah knew that he wanted to be a biologist and study animals even further. But life sometimes has complications, and he couldn’t afford to study. Thankfully he still managed to find a job that was in line with his sensibilities - a zookeeper.
Perfect Job
Noah was a little sore about not being able to be a biologist, but after a few months, he had grown fond of his new job. If he had started studying, he wouldn’t have all the benefits of taking care of all of the exotic animals at the zoo.
His particular favorite animals were the zoo’s orangutans. There was something about their emotional intelligence and curious nature. But recently, they had been looking worse off, like they weren’t happy.
No Reason To Stay
The orangutan exhibit hadn’t seen many visitors lately, and they would soon have to be moved to another zoo with budgets being cut. Noah was devastated. He had no idea what he could do, but he couldn’t sit idly by and let them leave.
He couldn’t imagine them leaving, and he had to think of a way to make them happier, so they were more of an attraction to visitors. But it would take a lot of brainstorming to make that happen.
Pleading With Management
Before doing anything else, Noah tried talking to management about his primate friends. He told them how they couldn’t just take them away. They empathized with him and understood his concerns.
But at the end of the day, it was simply out of their hands. They told Noah about the budget cuts with fewer visitors coming in every day. But Noah wouldn’t take no for an answer.
A Deal
Noah pleaded with his boss to give him a chance; he asked if he managed to boost the visitors at the orangutan higher than ever if he could make an exception. His boss said that it would take a lot to stop them from moving the primates - but it wasn’t impossible.
Noah knew that anything was possible if he put his mind to it. He left the office smiling - there was hope! He just had to think of something that would catch the people’s attention and save the exhibit. But he had no idea how things would end.
A Realization
Noah went back to the enclosure and watched the orangutans. He knew this might be one of the last times he looked at them. But then something happened that he could never have expected. He watched as the orangutans interacted with the animals from the enclosure next to them. They looked as if they were friends.
This would be very risky, but it could potentially save the orangutans. He set his plans in motion, but he had no idea how the primates would react.
Meeting
Noah decided that he would have the two enclosures meet. They acted friendly, and he hadn’t seen the orangutans as happy as they were in a long time. But it wouldn’t be as easy as throwing the two groups into the same enclosure. He’d have to be cautious.
The other group of animals was otters. Most people think that orangutans and otters couldn’t be more different, and they’d be right. But there was something there that Noah had never seen before.
Putting Them Together
After passing the idea with a fellow zookeeper, Noah got some help getting the two different species together. The smaller, more timid animals would be taken into the orangutan’s enclosure, and he would watch carefully to monitor the situation.
Noah was nervous, to say the least, and he should have been better prepared with how the orangutans would react. But he was unaware of how things would escalate.
Moment Of Truth
Noah felt his stomach twist into a knot; the orangutans were roaring at the animals he had put into their enclosure. He thought that they were friends. Could it be that he was wrong?
His pulse started racing as the crowd gasped. One of the orangutans approached the timid animals and got way too close to comfort. Then something happened that had huge implications on Noah’s entire career as a zookeeper.
A Peace Offering
The orangutan had something clenched in its fist. Noah couldn’t make out what it was. He feared for the otters, but it was too late. All he could do was watch as the orangutan opened its fist and offered something to the closest otter. It was a peace offering!
The primate was giving the otter a piece of fruit to eat. Noah couldn’t believe it. Had his plan really worked out?
Relief
The crowd all gave a sigh of relief. Noah’s gut feeling was right. The orangutans and the otters really were friends. Now the orangutans were happier than ever, and it seemed that the otters loved their company too.
Now that the first part of Noah’s plan had worked, he wondered if it would be enough to convince his superiors to keep the orangutans around. He was about to find out.
The Judgment Call
He met with his boss, who seemed much less enthusiastic than he was. He berated Noah for not notifying him of what he was doing. Noah argued that he would never have let him put the animals in the enclosure together, which was completely right.
After consideration, his boss told him that he didn’t want the otters to be affected by the orangutans leaving.
Happy Ending
Thankfully this meant that the orangutans would stay and be able to see the otters once a week. As a result, the spectacle brought more people into the zoo from across the country. Noah got the recognition he deserved, but that wasn’t what he was looking for.
Noah was just happy that he could keep looking after the beautiful animals that he loved. He didn’t have a doubt in his mind that he had made the right.