Holiday finds hundreds at the zoo
Families use Labor Day as time to reconnect and spot a few animals, despite rainy skies
For hundreds of local families, the best way to capitalize on the extra free time afforded by Labor Day was to pack up and head to the Houston Zoo.
Patrons willing to brave intermittent downpours got to gape at Baylor and Duncan, the zoo’s youngest male elephants, roughhousing in the pool. Those standing in the right spot also received a different kind of downpour when Methai, the matriarch of the zoo’s eight-member herd, guzzled water from a hose held by keeper Ian Ross and gave herself — and those nearby — a quick spray bath with her trunk.
Anay Panchal was thrilled with all of it. The almost-3-yearold bolted bug-eyed from fence to fence, whooping. Parents Piyush and Meghana say they come to the zoo once a year, always on Memorial Day or Labor Day.
“Now he recognizes all the animals, so I thought this is a nice opportunity to visit,” Piyush said. “Right now he’s just exploring . ... It’s really good for them. As parents, we’re loving it. Seeing kids excited, it’s a good thing.”
Anay’s older brother, Krish, 8, said the cheetah enclosure had been his favorite stop and wanted to check out the reptiles next.
Mike Gregoire and Angela Dipaola, whose Connecticutbased relationship became a long distance one when Dipaola moved to Houston to study for a public health doctorate two weeks ago, also took advantage of the three-day weekend. Gregoire, a particular fan of the otters and elephants, said the zoo options are lacking at home.
The couple also recognized the meaning behind the holiday, noting correctly that Labor Day has its roots in the growth of workers unions in the late 1800s. Public polling has suggested that fewer Americans know the meaning behind Labor Day than, for instance, Memorial Day.
“Everyone that works needs a holiday — now is their day off. It’s what I take from it,” Gregoire said. “You know, ‘It’s a nice holiday, here you go.’ ”
Dodging the rain at the elephant enclosure, Mitra Saeid viewed Monday as “a day of rest for people that are working,” and said she feels connected to the holiday as a chiropractor who works six days each week.
“We’re all together, so we decided to come,” she said, motioning to husband, Mehrdad, and 4-year-old son Ryan, who was
clamoring to see the lions and tigers. “We give him a choice, and he always picks the zoo.”
Granted, many employers keep some workers on the job each Labor Day — about 40 percent of companies, according to a yearold Bloomberg survey. Among them Monday was elephant keeper Ross, one of 10 keepers for the zoo’s elephant herd, at least six of whom must be on duty.
“The animals still need to be taken care of, they still need to be fed, they still need to be cleaned up after, they still need to be checked up on,” Ross said. “I knew when I was getting into this field that I’d have to work a lot of holidays. I don’t have a problem working on Labor Day.
“Obviously one of the big pluses for me,” he said, laughing, “is no rush-hour traffic. I like that.”