Go to the Zoo- But NOT to See Me!

We had a great time at Brookfield Zoo’s “Creatures of the Night” last Friday night- lots of nice Sven fans came to see me, as well as enjoying the “scary” zoo features- but something is coming up there that I hope will bring you back to the zoo again- and it isn’t me! This Friday night, the zoo’s AAZK chapter (AAZK stands for “American Association of Zoo Keepers”) is hosting a special animal art show this Friday night at 7 pm at the zoo. I’ve worked with AAZK in past events- specifically, ones that help maintain and protect land in the wild for grizzly bears. This Friday’s event will benefit the Mondika Research Center in the Congo- which is dedicated to learning more about the wild Western Lowland Gorilla (those are the only species of gorillas found in North American zoos.)Due to research and conservation efforts at the center, all logging has been banned to help protect the species and their forest home. You can help too- by attending this event, which will display artwork by both humans and animal artists-you might recall me showing a painting on our show that was done by one of the zoo’s orangutans, Sophie! This is the ONLY time that the public has the chance to purchase paintings made by the Brookfield Zoo animals. It’s only five dollars to get into the show, which includes soft drinks,wine and cheese- and if you are coming strictly for the art show, you do not have to pay the zoo admission price (unless you plan to stay and enjoy “Creatures of the Night”, in which case, you would, obviously). The art show and silent auction take place this Friday night- from 7 to 9 pm, at the zoo’s Discovery Center- the same place I was last Friday night (no, there will NOT be any artwork there done by THIS animal!)All proceeds will go towards gorilla conservation. If you’ve been to the zoo’s Tropic World and been amazed by the engaging –and often very human- behavior of the gorillas, I hope you’ll help them out. Come on- haven’t you always wanted a masterpiece made by an orangutan?! Perhaps a gorilla- the movie kind, not the real-life kind- would be a suitable choice for today’s “Halloween Horror of the Day”- and I have one.I’ve always enjoyed seeing- Konga! Konga starts out as a mere chimpanzee (uh- let’s just overlook the plot line that makes him become a gorilla) who is the subject of a strange botanist’s experimentation- he is given a serum that turns him into a full-sized gorilla! (Maybe , since he’s into botany, that explains him not realizing a chimp and a gorilla are two different things- but I digress…)Unfortunately, this mad doctor sends the big ape out to kill his various enemies- and this includes the boyfriend of a curvy blonde student of his that he’s set his sights on. One problem- the doctor already has a girlfriend, his assistant- who gets steamed at his attention to the other female, and gives Konga a super-sized dose of the serum- which makes him turn into a King Kong-sized gorilla! The amazing “Konga” has some incredible scenes- including bursting through the roof of the doctor’s compound, and facing off against the British army. If the name “Konga” for a giant ape seems derivative- well, just know that the film’s producers paid $25,000 to the RKO Studios for the rights to the name “Kong”! Worth every penny, I might add- as we crown Konga king of horror, as our “Halloween Horror of the Day”!