Chuma the okapi was one of the most
amazing creatures I’ve ever met, and I’ve met quite a few in the seven years
that I’ve been involved with the San Antonio Zoo. I met him on April 22, 2011,
and it was an experience that I know I’ll never forget. One thing I’ve learned
from the many, many up close experiences I’ve had with animals is that you
can’t completely understand the size of an animal until you get up close and
personal with it. That being said, I didn’t realize how big Chuma was until the
moment when I walked up right next to him. Because of that, at first I was a
little intimidated and hesitant to get too close. But, as the keeper that was
with me walked up right next to him and began to touch him, I saw what a gentle
creature Chuma was, and fell in love. I remember the feeling of absolute awe as
I came up close to him, ran my hand along his neck and back, felt his muscles
under his fine, oily hair, and looked into those big, beautiful eyes. I
remember so clearly the feeling of his long, rough tongue as he began to lick
my arm, as if he was greeting and exploring this new person. I had just turned
eighteen and was getting ready to graduate high school at the time, and that
experience was the best gift I could’ve possibly asked for.
In the years since that day I’ve
gotten quite a few more up close experiences with that beautiful animal, and
while they’ve all been wonderful, I don’t think any of them could possibly top
that first one. It really, truly was one of the best moments of my life. Still,
no matter what else happened to be going on in my life, stopping by Chuma’s
exhibit to say hi to him could always make me feel better, and the best part of
any day was when I could steal a few precious moments with him.
I knew, of course, that the day would
come when I’d walk past his exhibit and he wouldn’t be there. At 29 years old,
Chuma was believed to be the oldest okapi in the world, so it’s hard to be sad
now that that day has come. He had a long life, and brought a lot of joy to the
zoo staff and guests who saw him. In the time since Saturday morning, when I
learned of his passing, I’ve tried to be happy that I knew him and focus on his
life, instead of being sad to know he’s now gone. One of Chuma’s main keepers
is a good friend of mine; he was actually the one who gave me the news. He also
told me something that really amazed me. He said that one day when he was
taking care of Chuma, he told him, “When you go, please do it on a Saturday,
when I’m not here.” As it turns out, Chuma obliged to that request.
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been
lucky enough to have up close experiences with many of the zoo’s animals over
the past seven years: lions, tigers, komodo dragons, alligators, rhinos, bears,
sloths, flamingoes, owls, zebras, hippos, snakes, monkeys… the list goes on and
on. Yet, out of all of those, I don’t think any animal has touched my life
quite as much as that okapi did. I know that a lot of people will miss him very
much, myself included. I will never forget you, Chuma. Run free, you wonderful,
beautiful animal…
