Mary Anne And The Zoo Mystery by Ann M. Martin

Author:Ann M. Martin [Martin, Ann M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2010-09-15T23:35:48.249000+00:00

"Do you feel it’s cruel to keep a cat penned up in your house?"

"No," Dawn said. "But that’s different. A cat is small."

"Let’s put this in perspective," Dr. Wordsworth said. "Most of us assume that any captive animal longs to be free. But animals can't always do as they like in the wild. Strict limits are put upon them by the seasons, their territorial status, and the relative richness of their habitat." She paused, then said with a grin, "I'm sorry, I'm starting to sound like a professor. Mojo's and James's home at the San Diego Zoo is a painstaking recreation of their African habitat, a full three acres. They're both lowland gorillas who, in the course of a normal day, would probably travel no further than half a mile. They're safe, warm, and well-fed. Besides spending time with each other, Mojo and James spend several hours a day in structured play, where new challenges are constantly introduced to them. This is where Mojo first learned sign language. James never really picked it up, by the way. Occasionally he imitates Mojo, but that’s all it is — imitation."

"I thought I saw him signing to Mojo," I whispered to Logan. "That explains it."

nn

"Before I show you the film, I would like to say that Mojo's great strides in communication would probably not have been possible if it weren't for the breakthrough studies of Dr. Penny Patterson, who first worked with a little gorilla named Koko at the San Francisco Zoo, Koko learned to sign four words in 1972. By the time she was seven, Koko counted six hundred and forty-five signs in her vocabulary, which she used to ask for presents, tell jokes, and express her feelings." Dr. Wordsworth waved at the back of the room. "Could someone start the video, please?"

"Mr. Chester was going to run our video for us," Mrs. Wofsey said, as she fiddled with the machine, "but I'm afraid he's not here. I'll need a few moments to make sure I'm pushing the correct buttons."

The delay gave me a chance to look around the room. I noticed that neither Alan nor Howie was in the audience.

The exit door slammed shut and Mr. Chester hurried into the room and rushed to Mrs. Wofsey. "I apologize for being late," he said. "But we seemed to be short-handed at feeding time. I had to feed the seals."

"That’s quite all right." Mrs. Wofsey smiled stiffly. 'Take a moment to catch your breath, and then we'll begin the video."

The door at the back slammed again and one of the new security guards rushed in. He stood near Logan and me, gesturing frantically. "Mrs. Wofsey? Mrs. Wofsey, please, I need to talk to you."

Mrs. Wofsey nodded. "All right, folks," she announced, "on with the show." She dimmed the lights, turned up the volume, then hurried to talk to the guard.

'/What is it, Mike?"

"One of the gates in the primate enclosure — the gibbons' gate," the guard whispered, loudly enough so that Logan and I could hear.

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