Emerald and June

Emerald died on March 28th, 2018.

He was the pride of the whole city. Everyone loved to see him, and when he was sick and staying indoors near the end, it led to many people from all over the state rushing to visit him. There wasn’t a single Bronx native or even people from adjacent boroughs who didn’t know Emerald. Although it sounds like twenty-four years old is young, he lived an exceptionally long life for a Malayan tiger.

Emerald was born in the San Diego zoo and after a few years transported to the Bronx. A big change for him, not only in facilities and weather, but people. People don’t think beings like him feel or sense the change, but it was tough for him. He missed his family and although he was treated well at his new home, he was lonely and had no one else in the cage. In San Diego, at least he had his brother and mom.

His first winter was brutal and bewildering. Although he had this thick and illustrious fur, it was a sharp contrast to the warmer sunnier climate he was born into. As the years passed, he found comfort and safety in his caretakers: Alberto and Samira. They often were gentle and kind to him, often giving him treats and brushing his coat. When visitors came, he found them to be loud and confusing - making so much noise and afraid of him, but he was the one locked in and they were free to do or say anything to him.

Overtime, another tiger named Nora was brought in. They found friendship and companionship, resulting in two litters of cubs. After the second time, Nora had an ongoing infection and ultimately passed at just eighteen years old. One cub was transferred to his own smaller cage. The remaining cubs were taken and dispersed to other zoos: Denver, Boston, Columbus, and San Francisco. At this point, Emerald didn’t understand what it meant, but it seemed that he was a big deal to the zoo.

Once again, Emerald felt lonely in his cage; Time passed as he saw people come and watch him while they did the same wretched habits: Taunt. Throw things. Take pictures. Make loud unpleasant noises. They sometimes would aim their trash into his pond within his encasement. Generally, no regard for how they may make him feel anxious or tired.

The following summer, he unexpectedly made a friend - June, a wild duck from Westchester. Sometimes a foe and a friend.

June was free, roaming around with her family one July afternoon. She and her cousin wanted to take a water break in Emerald’s pond. Although she was afraid of Emerald, she eventually realized that he was doing it more for show and pleasure than for need. They made a truce and let eachother be.

June came to visit him at least two to three times a year, even when the pond froze over and she had no real reason to be there. Emerald never mentioned it, but it brought him deep joy.

For the next six years, they would unknowingly entertain all the guests as they battled it out in and around the pond.

The winter had gotten tougher and Emerald had started losing his sight in one eye and battled a few infections from a recent fight with a new tiger named Raj. As they normally do, the zoo tried to add another member to Emerald’s area but this young tiger challenged him too often, which naturally, Emerald could never turn down. Unfortunately, during their third scuffle, things got particularly violent and Emerald was severely injured. June only caught one of these fights, as she was one of the causes. Raj didn’t know that June was to be left alone nor did he care. Although it was early February and clearly too cold to take a swim, Raj still refused to share the pond. On that particular day, he relentlessly went after June.

June was so shaken by the chase and didn’t come back for months. By then Raj had been moved to another encasement until Emerald could heal, but this time Emerald had too many new complications from their fight. As the winter sunk in, the pond froze quite thick and hard. Every so often Emerald thought he heard June flying in, but it was really just the trapped air bubbling underneath the thick ice when the sun was extra shining. As the weeks slunk by and the snow billowed in and out, Emerald accepted he would not see his friend again.

When Emerald died that March, June had been held up in Virginia, as her family wanted to wait out this especially icy winter.

June showed up finally in late July, but by then, there was only Raj and no Emerald. She kept flying over searching for Emerald. She even considered landing on the pond and asking Raj but the terror of the last exchange with him hadn’t escaped her memory enough for her to dare such a landing. She circled two more times, hoping what she feared wasn’t true. Raj saw June land on his fence and snared at her.

As she studied the cage, she accepted what she could clearly see: Emerald was no longer there. She was sad to miss her old friend. After a few circles of flying above the enclosure, and scoffing at Raj's lame leaps of terror, June turns away from the zoo and flies off.

Finally left alone in his encasement and as a group of tourists bustle in, Raj takes a slow dip into his pond.