Why did the Bronx Zoo close the monkey house?

Last Monday, the Bronx Zoo officially closed its 111-year-old Primate (Monkey) House, citing a need for change in the ways the animals are exhibited—an evolution, if you will. Responses have revealed how deeply unsettling the closure is to the general psyche of the City, but with few genuinely able to articulate why.



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Bronx Zoo operator apologizes for racist display of African man in 1906. Ota Benga, a Central African man, was put on display in the monkey house in 1906 before Black ministers brought the disgraceful incident to an end, the zoo operator said.

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Bronx Zoo officials put Ota Benga on display in the zoo's Monkey House for several days during the week of September 8, 1906 before outrage from local Black ministers quickly brought the disgraceful incident to an end.

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In 2006, the Bronx Zoo announced no further elephants would be acquired, a measure taken by other zoos after calls from the public and animal experts stated that elephants do not belong in captivity thus affecting their natural behaviors as social creatures.

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Ota Benga ( c. 1883 – March 20, 1916) was a Mbuti (Congo pygmy) man, known for being featured in an exhibit at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri, and as a human zoo exhibit in 1906 at the Bronx Zoo.

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The area around the zoo is as safe as most places in NYC. Within a couple of blocks is Fordham University, the Bronx Botanical Garden, and Arthur Ave (Our Little Italy). If you have concerns about walking, grab an Uber/Lyft to move between places in the area. Helpful?

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The Bronx Zoo It's a bird, it's a giraffe, it's a – New York City skyline! One of the largest zoos in the world, the Bronx Zoo can be found in uptown Manhattan, and that's the subtle focal point of its logo.

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Closure Information This action is being taken as city and state leaders have called on businesses to voluntarily close to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19; and following declarations of states of emergency in the United States, New York State and New York City.

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