August 26, 2005
IS THAT HARRY PEEKING OUT FROM THE CAVE?
At London Zoo, Humans Are Ones on Display (Cassandra Vinograd, Associated Press, August 26th, 2005)
Caged and barely clothed, eight men and women monkeyed around for the crowds Friday in an exhibit labeled "Humans" at the London Zoo."Warning: Humans in their Natural Environment" read the sign at the entrance to the exhibit, where the captives could be seen on a rock ledge in a bear enclosure, clad in bathing suits and pinned-on fig leaves. Some played with hula hoops, some waved.
Visitors stopped to point and laugh, and several children could be heard asking, "Why are there people in there?"
London Zoo spokeswoman Polly Wills says that's exactly the question the zoo wants to answer.
"Seeing people in a different environment, among other animals ... teaches members of the public that the human is just another primate," Wills said.
The exhibit puts the three male and five female "homo sapiens" amid their primate relatives. While their neighbors might enjoy bananas and a good scratch, these eight have divided interests, from a chemist hoping to raise awareness about apes to a self-described actor/model and fitness enthusiast.

The other primates are threatening to kill them unless they pay reparations for Chartres.
Posted by Peter Burnet at August 26, 2005 1:01 PMI bet they all stink to high heaven
Posted by: Governor Breck at August 26, 2005 2:56 PMNow we know what actors do when they can't even get jobs as waiters.
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at August 26, 2005 3:20 PMIf you check the other pictures you will realize that this is just another chance to display scantily clad healthy young well-endowed women. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Brought to you by the people who invented page3.com
Posted by: Robert Schwartz
at August 26, 2005 3:26 PM
It seems to me that the exhibit has the opposite effect as that intended. Seeing humans in an environment built by humans, wearing clothes made by humans, using ugly yellow pillows made by humans, put there to make a point to other humans, makes clear just how incredibly different we really are from other primates.
Posted by: Timothy at August 26, 2005 3:38 PMThe AP left off some fun crazy facts:
"We have set up this exhibit to highlight the spread of man as a plague species and to communicate the importance of man's place in the planet's ecosystem," London Zoo said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050825/od_afp/britainoffbeatzoo_050825162021
Posted by: b at August 26, 2005 4:00 PMDidn't Survivor cover this territory?
Posted by: Pepys at August 26, 2005 7:21 PMI think those two fillies at the top are getting ready to mate.
Posted by: Jim in Chicago at August 26, 2005 9:19 PMToo late. Homosassa Springs park in Florida has been putting humans on display to fish and manatees for at least 20 years.
The fish, at least, appear to be engrossed.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at August 27, 2005 12:12 AM