Meet Salem. She lives in a part of the Denver Zoo that’s far too often ignored. In a nicely-sized, shady, behind a building habitat, the people who do see her tend to make jokes about turkey dinner rather than appreciate the blue in her neck and the sentience in her eyes.
I, however, fell in love with her at first sight. It was after doing my first DZ Up-Close Encounter that I learned her name. It was after I started volunteering that I had a week of vacation I basically spent at the zoo, saying hi to her twice a day, where she learned my voice and would come say hello when I called her name.
If you are visiting the Denver Zoo, take a quick stop behind Bird World. In the big green habitat, possibly hiding behind a bush, you’re going to find the best animal the zoo has to offer. Tell her she’s a good bird, that she’s a pretty bird. And say hi for me.
The Zootographer 