Ruby

Written Sept. 1997 (est.)

A few years ago, I went with my family to visit my brother who lives in Berkeley, California. One of the things that I knew I simply had to do was visit the theme park, Marine World- Africa, USA. I was determined to see some (non-human) primates, up-close, since they are the animals that have intrigued me the most since I was very small.

It was a hot day for Vallejo, California. It had to have been in the high 90's, or triple digits. We walked around the park for hours that day. We ate ice cream to cool us off. I got to go to the bird exhibit, where birds fly free in an aviary. We went to that particular area at the most opportune time. It was about an hour before feeding time, and the birds were curious about everything. I held several small, wild birds, that were all sorts of colours. Red, green, and yellow birds sat on my hands, my hat, my camera. They sat on my brothers' shoulders and licked the closed water bottle. They nipped a little at our fingers, but it only tickled. They were a lot of fun.

Other attractions at this park included a polar bear that you could watch underwater, a porcupine named Quillbur, whose fallen quills we were allowed to keep, and a beautiful, long, and enormous female boa constrictor. I was absolutely fascinated. We saw many animals in a natural habitat. It wasn't as big as it had looked on the Discovery Channel, but I was still enjoying myself.

I saw a man walking around the park who was carrying a pouch around his shoulders. It was like a pillow case that resembled a back pack worn the opposite way. Inside it, there sat the most adorable little animal, a baby wallaby. Its mother had abandoned it, and this man had to play the role of "mommy." I decided then that his job was the kind of job that I wanted. I also admired the workers who got to play with the baby tigers, and the people who worked in the animal nursery. Then I thought that I would love almost any job where I could spend all day, everyday, with animals. I do not want to be a verterinarian, where you only see your patients briefly, not able to spend time with them long-term, and seeing them sick. Rather, I want a job where I can work up-close and personal everyday with animals, so that I can have a job I will love.

Earlier, on that hot afternoon, we had seen a sign that notified us that there would be a viewing time for an orangutan. I was extremely happy about this. Then the moment I had been waiting for finally arrived. Behind a short, wooden fence sat what appeared to be a young child's jungle gym playset. It was made of wood and had plenty of ropes hanging from it. A man was standing there with a gorgeous, red, young orangutan. She was reaching up, and trying to climb all over him, so he held her in his arms. I was astonished at her beauty. I got closer, and stood right up against the fence, which only came up to just below my waist. I rested my hand on one of the little wooden posts, and listened to the Primate Expert talk about the orangutan. Her name was Ruby, and she was 2 years old. Her mother had abandoned her, and the workers at the park had mothered her. Now, she was beginning to be old enough to start associating with the older orangutans, and would soon be placed with them. Every afternoon, she gets a play hour on the jungle gym. He had been holding her hand, and then she sat on the ground. She wasn't too interested in the jungle gym, but she was bouncing around everywhere, just like a human 2 year old. One toy that she adored was the speaker's keys. She loved the sound, and the fact that they were shiny. He kept having to tell her not to put them in her mouth. He also told her, "Don't touch," every time she came too close to the people at the fence.

As he talked, she ran back and forth at his feet, and played with his keys. She threw them, then chased after them, and she was having a blast. He started to pay less attention to her, and continued to tell the interested spectators all about her. She, little by little, wandered towards where I was standing. I thought to myself, "This is great! I get to see her even closer!" She walked over to me, and looked right at me. My family said she was probably looking at my hair, which was the identical color to hers. I smiled at her, and she continued looking at me. She looked away for a bit, and I looked up at the speaker, who was still talking. I immediately turned my attention back to Ruby when I noticed she put her hand right next to mine on the wooden post; I was thrilled! I knew she wasn't touching me, and that she was ok, and all my thoughts were filled about how wonderful it was to have this sweet creature's hand so close to mine.

Then, unbelievably, the situation got even better. She slowly placed her hand right on top of mine. I was elated! I could feel the incredible strength in her fingers, and memorized the way her hand looked. Her palm was longer, and extended, but still resembled my human hand. I stroked the red hairs on the back of her hand for an instant, and she looked up at me, this time looking right into my eyes. For one single moment, she and I just looked and wondered about the other.

"Ruby! No! Don't touch!" cried the trainer as he ran over and whisked her away, up into his arms. I could still feel the sensation of her hand on mine for a while after that. The experience was one I will always remember. The day was absolutely perfect, because not only had I gotten to see a beautiful orangutan, but also, she held my hand. I will not forget little Ruby, or the feeling I had when I saw her. It is a feeling I get with many animals, one of wonder, and a certain understanding. It is also an understanding that we are both from the same animal kingdom, and in many respects, we are very much the same. I will always be grateful for this amazing experience!