A Day at the zoo – Chimps, Baboons, and Silverbacks Oh My!

There’s something profoundly moving about spending time with primates.  Whether you believe in creation or evolution, or a combination of these beliefs, these are creatures who seem to echo parts of ourselves. Recently, I spent a day at the Knoxville Zoo with a couple of friends, and what was a casual visit turned into an experience.

At the chimpanzee exhibit, I found myself not just watching them but studying them.  Enthralled with their hands.  Like Rodin was in his sculptures. Every detail in their hands fascinated me, the curve of a finger, the flex of a wrist, the subtle tension of a grasp the lines in their palms. Their hands told stories of strength, curiosity, and tenderness, and I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of connection as I observed them.

The baboons carried a different kind of energy, full of movement and social buzz. Their lively interactions, playful, dramatic, affection felt like a wild mirror of our own human relationships.

It was impossible not to laugh a little at the sight of their famous bright red butts, so vivid and unavoidable that they seemed like nature’s own neon signs. In a way, the baboons reminded me that life isn’t just about the quiet, reflective moments, it’s also about boldness, color, and unabashed vitality.

And then there were the silverback gorillas. Standing before them, watching their powerful forms at rest, was like encountering living monuments. But it was their eyes that truly captured my attention. It’s often said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and in that moment, I believed it more than ever. Meeting the gaze of a silverback, I felt something stir.  Like the people in these videos, who had a close encounter with silverbacks. 

Being Groomed

Being Accepted

You could literally see the connection here, a quiet understanding, a shared depth, a reminder that so much of what matters can pass between beings without a single word spoken.

Visiting the chimps, baboons, and silverbacks wasn’t just about seeing animals in a zoo. It was a reminder that we, too, are part of a much larger story. In the eyes of these animals, I saw connections, I saw humanity at its most natural and purest form. It’s easy to forget, in the rush of our daily lives, that we share this planet with creatures who experience the world in deeply emotional and complex ways, to forget that we are all citizens of this ecosystem we call planet earth.  Standing in the presence of these incredible animals, I realized how much they have to teach us about connection, about the value of stillness, and about the quiet power of simply being seen.

In the end, it wasn’t just about observing them, it was about recognizing that, beneath the surface, we all share a common thread. We are not separate, not as different as we think. We are all connected. 

Perhaps the truest connections we can make are the ones that don’t need words. When we allow ourselves to see and be seen.  Whether by a silverback’s piercing gaze or the playful eyes of a chimp we touch something deeper.

I captured some of these moments in photos that I’m excited to share. You can find a gallery of my images from the visit below, a collection that offers a glimpse into the world of these amazing animals through my eyes.