I Create Singing Characters For Zoo Animals

I took photos in the zoo and then invented characters around them and what songs they might sing. There is still a lot more work in progress....

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Nancy is truly a femme fatale. She may look cuddly and innocent, but actually is a sly old dog – well, panda. She usually catches any male with only a wink of her magic eyes and as soon as they fall desperately in love with her she drops them like a hot potato. But this inglorious behavior has a sad background: Only once she was in love and her partner left her overnight with no explanation at all, but with dept and sorrow. She hardly has friends, but rather admirers or enemies. Nancy is famous in all the zoo community for her adorable, soft, red coat, but if someone dares to touch it, that one will get to know her claws. But if you leave any personal level aside, Red Nancy is a fair player and a good business woman. She loves making bets about anything and is a good sportsman without fear of losing money, zigarettes or the next box of Belgian chocolate.

Dean is a serious guy and isn’t too lucky with the lady penguins in his neighborhood. But they should have a second look at him for he is one of the best swimmers and a passionate dancer. Any lady would succumb to his charms lying in his fins and being led by him to the soft rhythms of a smooth tango. Dean’s soft side doesn’t show very often but the gentle look in his eyes gives us an idea of a fine and warm hearted character.

Don is an eloquent fellow with a truly social heart. He dreams about making the world a better place with effort in feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and helping everyone in need. Sometimes he forgets his own needs and finds himself tired to death after 30 hours without sleep. In personal relationships Don fights with some difficulties, because he doesn’t recognize himself or others as individuals with an individual life, in his eyes everyone is playing a role for the collective good. That makes it hard for everyone to spend time with him without discussions and without being dragged into some help-the-ants-to-fight-discrimination project. But sometimes he has moments of pure entertainment, when he is invited to a party and has a drink or two (“Mint Julep” is his favorite – he can get nasty when there is no fresh mint around for his Bourbon-Mint-Ice dream) – his once in a while addiction toward alcohol gnaws at his conscience, but then he gets terrible funny and an amusement for every eye and ear!

Lesley is a very young elephant and a truly cheerful soul. She is fond of everybody and actually everybody is fond of her. Sometimes her older mates are getting annoyed of her all-time-playing-mood, but her happiness infects them sooner or later. Lesley is dreaming of becoming a future model and vainly cares for her skin to keep it that shiny and soft. Her “trademark” are extraordinary big ears she is very proud of and that provoke in same parts admiration and envy by peers. That girl is a bundle of energy and has no fears except of athlete’s foot and clowns.

You know about Lesley already, but the most important person in her life is not herself, but her godfather Phil. He always wanted to have an own daughter, but it didn’t work out for him until now . So meanwhile he is glad to take care of Lesley and spoils her wherever he can. In contrast to Lesley Phil is of very even-tempered nature and endures conflicts or critics with endless patience. If there is any blemish with Phil, it is probably his disability to say no. Because of that he is always endangered to be the playing toy of everybody without retrieving any thankful word. But Phil always says: “Whenever I can make someone smile, this is thanks enough.” He himself doesn’t feel very talented in anything (annot.: there are rumors, that Phil secretly is a very gifted step dancer), but hopes to become the manager of Lesley’s model carrier.

Nathaniel “Nat” knows exactly how the wind blows and doesn’t have a crown without reason. Usually he takes the role of the quiet one who is mainly watching and doesn’t like to participates in action. But Nat is always good for a profound talk and despite his preference to spend his time alone he would never reject helping one in need or hand out a helpful advice. Together with that his loyalty and wisdom turn him into a true friend. Nat is one of the most respected elders in the community and whenever he is in his melancholic mood and performs songs, poems and pieces of wisdom, everybody would come and listen to his lofty voice. He even writes poetry himself, but unfortunately only presents his own verses in the meetings of Cranes in Modern Literature Foundation, that was initialized by his grand grandfather.

Paul is very cuddle- and canoodle-needy and loves to get attention, that optimally consists of tender loving care and not too many words. He is always sleepy or at least dreamy and his activities are reduced to eating bamboo, sleeping and looking cute. I guess he perfectly knows about that and acts like a pasha on purpose. But once you got him out of his sleeping position (which is a terrible hard job), he can have his once-in-a-year-funny-mood and will entertain you greatly. I hazard a guess that he was the one breaking Nancy‘s heart, for he simply slumbered the relationship away. But that is just a guess , he doesn’t seem to have the energy to be a heart-breaker. After endless talking to him without getting any real answers I found out that he once was a chess champion. Probably was into it because of all the black and white… I am not sure if I shall put him to the group of the good ones or of the bad ones who know exactly how to be well received by their fellows and how to gain popularity.