🐾 Motor City Memories | August 1, 1928
Shoutout to
@TheArethaLive 🎶
On this day in history, the Detroit Zoo almost made the worst first impression imaginable. Acting Mayor John C. Nagel showed up late to the zoo’s grand opening and parked near the back—right behind the bear dens. As he rushed around the front, Morris the polar bear leapt the moat in search of some bread and ended up face-to-face with the mayor.
Nagel, clearly unaware that polar bears are not chill, stuck out his hand like he was greeting a neighbor and said, “He’s the reception committee.” Sir, be serious.
Thankfully, zoo keepers managed to rush Morris back into his den before things got tragic. As one historian put it: "It is mind-boggling to conjecture the future of the Zoo if it had marked its opening day with the consumption of the City's executive officer…" 😳
Crazy to think the Detroit Zoo—now a family favorite across the metro area—almost didn’t make it past day one. And fun fact: Detroit’s very first zoo in the 1880s was shut down because locals kept stealing the animals. We’ve come a long way, Detroit.
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