Zoo animals went wild as parts of the country experienced the total solar eclipse Monday.
At the Nashville Zoo, the giraffes, rhinoceroses and and flamingos were among some of the animals that reacted, by running around their enclosures or gathering closely together.
However, some zookeepers aren’t sure if the animals were reacting to the sudden darkness in the middle of the day or if the noisy crowd of spectators caused their agitation.
Almost 7,000 people went to the Nashville Zoo to see the animals’ reactions and watch the total eclipse Monday.
At the Nashville Zoo, many of the animals went wild during the eclipse Monday and almost 7,000 people went to the Nashville Zoo to watch the celestial event and see the animals’ reactions
The crickets and other animals grew noisy as it got darker at the Nashville Zoo, but when the sun was totally blotted out, it was the humans who drowned out the animals.
There was clapping, ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’ for more than the nearly two minutes the total eclipse lasted.
‘It was like an excited roar,’ Nashville Zoo animal keeper Jenna Wolczyk told the Tennessean. ‘You could feel the energy. It was like a joyous sigh.’
‘I didn’t expect to get so emotionally caught up with it. I literally had chill bumps,’ said zoo volunteer Stephen Foust.
And then once the light returned, the show began.
The two juvenile giraffes, Mazi, a 6-month-old, and Nasha, a 3-year-old, raced in circles as the people stared.
The two juvenile giraffes, Mazi, a 6-month-old, and Nasha, a 3-year-old, raced in circles as the people stared
The video of the giraffes running in circles was posted to Twitter
In their lagoon, the flamingos huddled together as the sky got dark, though zookeepers said it wasn’t clear whether it was the eclipse or the noisy, cheering crowd that spooked them
About 20 feet away, some of the rhinos were doing their best imitation of running after heading toward their pens when it got dark.
Teresa Morehead, of Indianapolis, says she was surprised to see the animals running. She says the rhinos were more confused than anything.
‘The rhinos, most of the time they slept,’ animal keeper Amelia Davis told the outlet.
‘It’s what they do during that time period. When it started to get dark, they stood up and ran to the back to gate and hung out. Once it was light again, they went back to sleeping.
She added: ‘But we aren’t sure if it was the eclipse or thousands of people screaming.’
In their lagoon, the flamingos huddled together, though zookeepers said it wasn’t clear whether it was the eclipse or the noisy, cheering crowd that spooked them.
Bird keeper Kristin Clifft said flamingos usually flock together when they are agitated.
However, not all the animals seemed to be affected by the eclipse. The primates and wild cats did not appear agitated at all, the Tennessean reported.
The crickets and other animals grew noisy as it got darker at the Nashville Zoo, but when the sun was totally blotted out, it was the humans who drowned out the animals
However, not all the animals seemed to be affected by the eclipse. The primates and wild cats did not appear agitated at all