The Denver Zoo wanted to do something uniquely special for the animals they take care of. That’s when they decided to get in contact with the Colorado Symphony. They weren’t quite sure how the zoo residents would react to music.
But they knew there was one way to find out.
Members of the symphony walked into the zoo with their instruments. They sat down in chairs near the giraffe enclosure and prepared to play classical music for the giraffes.
And then they began to play
All anyone could do was watch and wait to see if the animals would have any sort of reaction. After all, no one knew what would happen for sure.
The zookeepers had played music for the giraffes before, and they seemed to like it, but that was just music over a speaker. This was live. There was a different feel to it.
There were so many questions:
Would the zoo animals like the music? Would they ignore it? Would it scare them?
The giraffes begin to respond
One giraffe already seemed a little curious as the musicians sat down and arranged their music sheets and instruments. His head tilted in the slightest bit as he stretched his neck to get a better view of the people with their instruments.
Another giraffe heard the first sounds of a bow running across the strings of a violin, and one of his ears began to twitch visibly.
The giraffe who had already been watching seemed to have an even bigger reaction. His neck was practically pivoting – it had gone so far to the side in response to the music.
Staying cautious
Some of the giraffes stayed in the back of the enclosure, as was expected. They seemed a little uncertain about the musicians. None of them really looked like they knew how to respond to the new situation, but they weren’t fearful either. If anything, they were a little anxious and maybe more than a little confused.
Dobby gets into it
Dobby figured it out.
According to the Denver Zoo, Dobby is a two-year-old giraffe with enough energy and curiosity for all of the giraffes combined. He came close to the musicians several times, even reaching his head above the fence to sniff them.
His head swayed as he listened to the music. He appeared to be dancing!
The more active the music became, the more enthusiastic he would become. Dobby could tell when the song was changing, and he was ready for it.
A treat for the musicians as well
The musicians may have enjoyed the day as much, if not more, than the giraffes. They were so happy to see that the animals were actually showing an interest in what they were playing and that it wasn’t frightening them off. After all, this was a new kind of audience for them.
Discovering that the animals, especially Dobby, were appreciative of their efforts was a nice surprise.
Are you ready to see the musical magic for yourself?
Check out the video below. You might discover that you love it as much as the giraffes!
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Sources: YouTube – Colorado Symphony, Denver Zoo
