Successful bet. Damien Montay, the zoo’s communication manager, has just finished the otter feeding activity. It’s 10:15 pm. He is happy. His idea of opening the Zoo at night is a success. Not a single spot available around the otter pool. Hundreds of other people are strolling: families, couples. This night opening required special preparation up to a few minutes before the visitors arrived. “It’s better than expected! I hope people liked it,” says Damien. They seem to have appreciated it. “I was worried that everyone would arrive at the same time. There would have been traffic jams at the entrance.” The 500 visitors came scattered. They left happy.
Of course, there were some complaints about the lighting. “It’s intentional,” justifies Damien. “We wanted visitors to search for the animals in the night.” Many turned into explorers by scrutinizing each enclosure to find its occupant. The goal is to show how they behave when the sun has set. More light would have disturbed the animals. They are receiving guests in their living environment; it’s not up to them to adapt!
“Look at the crocodile. He is sleeping. We must not wake him,” one can hear. Respect. While the large amphibious reptiles remain calm, the bears, panthers, lemurs, or birds do not. They enjoy their guests and put on a show. 
10:30 pm: people rush around the lion cubs’ enclosure, the stars of the Zoo Park. It’s their feeding time. They have grown. It’s impossible to approach them, to pet them. Looking like kittens a few months ago, they now appear as real predators. The way they bite into their meat makes people reconsider getting any closer. We continue the visit. We pause for a moment to admire the painting exhibition by director Dominique Lagorce-Caucheteux. A few meters below, after pushing through a gate, the goats welcome us to their home, completely unbothered. Next door, bears beg for food from their observers. A panther watches. The tigress hides. The anacondas play the divas. A jungle.
Wouldn’t it have been better to leave the animals alone? Damien Montay answers: “We can’t do this every night, but it’s great to shake up their routines so they don’t become robots. It stimulates them and prevents boredom.” The idea came along when Damien arrived at the zoo. He had been employed in a zoo in Quebec that practiced night openings. Last summer it was impossible to organize it. Damien included it in the program as soon as the summer 2006 season ended. Just one night in 2007, but given the success of this Friday, August 10, there will be several in 2008 with improvements. Damien already has some ideas: better-lit cages, costumed animations… Looking forward to next year!
