Visitors to Copenhagen Zoo have been proving oddly reluctant
to stare too long at the latest specimens in the monkey pavilion.
For the latest primates are Malene Botoft, 27, and Henrik Lehmann, 35, who have been-literally-making an exhibition of themselves in a plastic cubicle in an attempt to place Homo sapiens in context in the animal
kingdom.
An acrobat and a newspaper administrator in real life, they hope
to raise environmental awareness by satisfying what they believe is
one of the human being's most distinctive features : curiosity.
Their cubicle is suppossed to look like a typical Danish home with a
tiny kitchen, a hi-fi, lots of books, a little patch of grass with
the Danish flag stuck in it. The couple are in their natural environment :
reading books, drinking coffee, talking on the phone, fixing a computer which doesn't work and inviting guests, but all talking place in front of the Zoo's daily visitors.
'Despite having little body hair, Man has spread through all
climatic zones,' say the description of Homo sapiens in front of the
cubicle. 'The numerous possessions and tools of Man are kept with the
family's territory. Other representative of the species respect that
territory, usually without a fight.'
Botoft and Lehmann believe that western culture has created so
many taboos regarding privacy that we do not question it, even when given the chance, although children have not yet learned to be so
inhibited. Lehmann sayshe : 'kids are the only ones who dare cross the
border and glue their noses to our cage.
'Visitors don't look at us so much as what we have : the CDs, the kind
of wine we drink, the books. What in fact they seek is to see themselves,' continues Lehmann. 'Once we're inside the cubicle, we don't notice
the people outside.
Visitors tend to be too embarrassed to look us in the eye. We simply
get on with our daily lives as if they didn't exist. If you talked to the
other animals, you'd probably find they feel the same way.'
Zoo spokesman Peter Haase says : 'They fit into our idea that Zoo
should present animals in the most natural environment possible.
What are people? Basically, primates with better means of grasping,
binocular vision, and larger brains.' This is, however, the first time a
zoological park has showcased the human being.
In Copenhagen, no one denies that Homo sapiens has its place at
the zoo, although it is unlikely the human corner by the monkey pavilion will be permanent.
It's about time people became more aware of their anthropological
heritage. 'While we were building the cubicle,' recalls Lehmann, 'a sign
had already been put up, saying Homo sapiens. Parents would say to
their children: "Look, the're building a cage for homo sapiens." Just
one amused visitor realized that it was a cage for people.'
Accoding to this article, You are going to read about a Zoo where
visitors can watch the typical behavior of human beings in their
natural enviroment.
Waht . do . think? In your opinion?
A : What kinds of typical behavior do you think visitors will see?
b : How would react to seeing Humans in a Zoo?
c : What do you think could be the purpose of watching typical
Brainy apes make a show of themselves
Visitors to Copenhagen Zoo have been proving oddly reluctant
to stare too long at the latest specimens in the monkey pavilion.
For the latest primates are Malene Botoft, 27, and Henrik Lehmann, 35, who have been-literally-making an exhibition of themselves in a plastic cubicle in an attempt to place Homo sapiens in context in the animal
kingdom.
An acrobat and a newspaper administrator in real life, they hope
to raise environmental awareness by satisfying what they believe is
one of the human being's most distinctive features : curiosity.
Their cubicle is suppossed to look like a typical Danish home with a
tiny kitchen, a hi-fi, lots of books, a little patch of grass with
the Danish flag stuck in it. The couple are in their natural environment :
reading books, drinking coffee, talking on the phone, fixing a computer which doesn't work and inviting guests, but all talking place in front of the Zoo's daily visitors.
'Despite having little body hair, Man has spread through all
climatic zones,' say the description of Homo sapiens in front of the
cubicle. 'The numerous possessions and tools of Man are kept with the
family's territory. Other representative of the species respect that
territory, usually without a fight.'
Botoft and Lehmann believe that western culture has created so
many taboos regarding privacy that we do not question it, even when given the chance, although children have not yet learned to be so
inhibited. Lehmann sayshe : 'kids are the only ones who dare cross the
border and glue their noses to our cage.
'Visitors don't look at us so much as what we have : the CDs, the kind
of wine we drink, the books. What in fact they seek is to see themselves,' continues Lehmann. 'Once we're inside the cubicle, we don't notice
the people outside.
Visitors tend to be too embarrassed to look us in the eye. We simply
get on with our daily lives as if they didn't exist. If you talked to the
other animals, you'd probably find they feel the same way.'
Zoo spokesman Peter Haase says : 'They fit into our idea that Zoo
should present animals in the most natural environment possible.
What are people? Basically, primates with better means of grasping,
binocular vision, and larger brains.' This is, however, the first time a
zoological park has showcased the human being.
In Copenhagen, no one denies that Homo sapiens has its place at
the zoo, although it is unlikely the human corner by the monkey pavilion will be permanent.
It's about time people became more aware of their anthropological
heritage. 'While we were building the cubicle,' recalls Lehmann, 'a sign
had already been put up, saying Homo sapiens. Parents would say to
their children: "Look, the're building a cage for homo sapiens." Just
one amused visitor realized that it was a cage for people.'
Accoding to this article, You are going to read about a Zoo where
visitors can watch the typical behavior of human beings in their
natural enviroment.
Waht . do . think? In your opinion?
A : What kinds of typical behavior do you think visitors will see?
b : How would react to seeing Humans in a Zoo?
c : What do you think could be the purpose of watching typical
human behaviour?