How did animals in the Fort Worth Zoo do during total eclipse? Ask the peculiar humans
Sounds of awe, tears of joy — and not to mention the screaming animals — were a few of the reactions at the Fort Worth Zoo as the moon eased across the sun’s face Monday.
For 2 minutes and 33 seconds, the sky darkened to the pall of twilight at 1:41 p.m.
Dozens of volunteers — from high school students to doctoral candidates — fanned out across the pens and enclosures of the zoo to record how the animals react to a total solar eclipse. N.C. state University Biology Professor Adam Hartstone-Rose had conducted a similar study in 2017 at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina. This time around, Hartstone-Rose hopes to confirm the findings from the eclipse seven years ago.
When the clock hit 1:40 p.m., guests were gushing. Ooohs and aaahs could be heard. A woman from Spain jumped up and down exclaiming, “Take a picture,” as tears welled up in her eyes.
A few feet away, a little girl told her mother, “Make the most of it mommy, it’s only for two minutes.”
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The darker the sky got, the louder the din seemed to get. Birds screeching were the first sign something special was happening.
African pygmy falcons let out a piercing calls, scratching guests’ ears. One giraffe stood as still as a statue for about 30 seconds right before totality.
A little boy told his dad, “It’s getting so dark.”
Cameras pointed up, glasses on, phones out.
Not all were taken by the moment. A few crying babies could be heard. A screaming toddler says, “get me out.” Apparently not all approved of the darkness.
During totality, many took off their viewing safety glasses. Everyone stood still.
Once over, many guests stuck around to see how the animals acted after the eclipse. The male gorillas were playful. One took a tire swing and pushed it as hard he could, scaring away his cohorts, while others wrestled.
The flamboyance of Caribbean Flamingo huddled together as the skies darkened, as if nesting. Some fought each other. But once light came back, the birds snapped out of it.
“Overall the biggest takeaways from animal behavior today was circadian response. They either thought it was evening time for their meals, or went to their gates to be put away for the night.” said Hartstone-Rose. “The number one most unusual animal behavior during an eclipse is from us, humans.”
