#okapi
Okapi, one of my favorite animals (I know I have a lot of them).
They are the most adorable creatures that looks like "god" build them from spare parts of other animals.
I have the funniest memory about them, when I moved to NYC, I didn't know many people and one of the things I did to enjoy my time was to buy an annual membership to Bronx Zoo. Once or twice a month I would go and spend time there, mostly in the Gorilla section that is like a cage for humans but the gorillas roam around outside and living their lives!
One day, I was walking around and got to the Okapis, they are shy and hard to catch so I was standing there trying to see when they would come up from their hiding. There comes a girl, 18 or 19, with a boyfriend or first date, she was trying hard to act like she has been there many times before and told him all about Okapis, that they are these beautiful creatures who climb the trees and hide from others, not even bothering to walk 10 steps to see the information signs with pictures.
The mean me, found a moment of joy to see it through, waiting for about 10 minutes until one of the Okapis finally came out from the back and everyone took out their cameras and were snapping photos and there I was, staring at the kid )trying not to show) to see her reaction, suddenly she saw the mommy Okapi with her little baby walking toward the front where the feeding area was and the only thing she said was "Oh, lets go and see the elephants", not even blinking once about the 10 minutes of lecture she held about these wonderful cousins of monkeys who hid in the trees!
It was in 1999, but I still remember her face and the face of the "boy friend" who was trying hard to hold his surprise and laughter back.
It is one of the funny things in life that I have forever!