Animals’ Quest for Knowledge Leads to Bear
One of the best things about the StuffedZoo is all the different experiences and expertise that comes together under one roof. Some animals are great at changing tires (Arthur Armadillo and Big Bill the Stuffed Gorilla), some are experts in translating Chinese poetry (Sherbert the Stuffed Fish), while still others are aspiring private detectives (Bubo the Stuffed Great Horned Owl).
But what do animals do with their really BIG questions? Who do they turn to then?
We’ve witnessed a behavior on our expeditions in the wild, and we are now seeing it happen under our own zoo roof: animals are coming together in large numbers, searching for the great Eyewells.
Eyewells isn’t just a well-known bear for his peaceful, sage-like appearance; it is well-known among stuffed animals that he is the source of divine answers.
Things seemed a bit funny around the SZ for a while – and not ha-ha funny, like it usually is. There was an eerie calm, the feeling of a secret in the air. Karl and I set up a good hiding spot one night just outside the pachyderm dormitories, and in the low moonlight, saw something incredible.
It began with two foxes and a raccoon. They met under the Holly bushes. Then the birds swooped down. Then bigger animals showed up – Baldric Buffalo, Carly Caribou, and even Eugene the Stuffed Elephant. They assembled in silence and darkness, and when it seemed all had shown up, they began to move, in one big herd, toward the great forest.
Karl and I followed, but dodging the skillful and well-organized surveillance of the animal troupe was tough. Z.Pink the flamingo, with her long neck, stayed at the back of the line, looking out for suspicious followers. Rosella the Stuffed Parrot, despite her girth, flew overhead watch, scanning for human intruders. Luckily, Karl and I have been tracking and stuffocating animals for a long time, and we know how to dodge even their best tricks.
But what could be so important, so secretive, so appealing that all these different kinds of stuffed animals would come together? How long had this been going on?
We followed them into the forest, up the big hill, to the tallest fir tree. Then we knew. . .
They were all gathering to see Eyewells.
Eyewells the Stuffed Brown Bear, once only a creature of legend, is actually very real. He’s been here, at the StuffedZoo, for almost a year now. His change into a glorious, silkily-soft stuffed animal turned him inward, and he became very quiet and introspective. But apparently, slowly, Eyewells has begun again to speak to other stuffed animals, doling out his famous wisdom. Karl and I hushed, and listened as the animal herd posed its questions to the great stuffed bear. . .
Next time: Hear what they asked!
