The zoo is home to many exotic animals. Tigers, lions, turtles, scorpions, monkeys, penguins- an entire article could be written listing out all the animals a zoo has. One particular local zoo has introduced a new animal into their collection: the Homo Sapien.

“We can’t let you see it yet, in fact the homo sapien will not be in our exhibit for some time to the public and news. When we receive a new animal, we want to let it know its going to be okay and let them adjust to their new home. We do not simply collect animals and display them, we take care of animals and eventually return them back into the wild. We take care of injured and endangered animals, and parents love to donate to a great cause. Taking care of all these animals is my passion and it’s truly a gift I can do it for my job.” - Deep Shinsuke, Manager

The homo sapien is an invasive species believed to have originated from somewhere in Africa. The species has caused a lot of destruction to the environment and caused many animals to lose their habitats and even go extinct. We asked Shinsuke, “Why take care of such a dangerous animal? They are not injured or endangered? And they are invasive species, isn’t that bad?”

“Well it’s true that these species have caused a lot of destruction to the environment but these animals are still injured. While you typically see animals with physical injuries, Homo Sapiens tend to have mental and emotional injuries. This is especially true of the adolescents. Homo Sapiens are very social creatures, and the adolescents are always looking for relationships but keep on frequently breaking up, this caused major emotional damage for both the males and females and we believe they are not ready to be released back into the wild.”

Not everyone believes in the protecting of the Homo Sapiens, many people believe they are a threat and have the same fears and concerns we expressed to Shinsuke.

“Aah, Homo Sapiens. You know what I think? I’ma gonna tell you what I think. Those [strong language] creatures are the worst creatures ever. You know what? They should go extinct. Not only should they go extinct, they should go to-“ -Katarina Dietmar, Local

“Homo Sapiens? Ah! I’ve heard of those in my 9th grade biology class! This brings back memories. [skip past nostalgic talk] But getting back to the matter at hand, I am a strong anti-invasive activist. Invasive species just cause so much damage. An ecosystem takes a long time to stabilize, a long time to achieve that perfect balance. Then an invasive species just comes in and destroys everything. They disrupt ecosystems and cause major problems for the local species. It’s kinda like the quartering act except there are no rules in the wild. It’s not that I am scared of Homo Sapiens [starts shuddering and acting nervous] but I do not believe the zoo is a place for them” - Naldo Kronoz, Local

The general public is against the zoo’s decision to house the Homo Sapiens. However, there are just a tiny batch of people who share Shinsuke’s views on the creatures.

“You know, I just kinda feel for them. I feel like I just connect with them. Ya know what I’m saying? Getting bullied in school, then receiving all the blame when things go wrong. I want to help them too.” -Nontle Shachar, Local

The zoo isn’t going to add the Homo Sapiens to it’s exhibit anytime soon, the process is going to take some time but Shinsuke does not want to rush the animals and wants them to take their time. While the zoo is making bold strides in diversifying its species, the backlash from housing the animals is not going to go away soon. Keep your eyes peeled and you might see a Homo Sapien the next time you go to a zoo.