Tony Lupo and his beloved monkey, Coco, have been entertaining people, bringing smiles by the hundreds, for decades.
Tony began training the little monkey 30 years ago! That's a long time for a man and monkey to work together.
Tony began training the little monkey 30 years ago! That's a long time for a man and monkey to work together.
At Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, in Lenox, Massachusetts, they have delighted hundreds of adults and children with their antics. They were quite a duo, filling time before the July 4th James Taylor and Carole King concert . Unbelievably, it was their 28th performance at Tanglewood!
Organ grinder and monkey teams are among the oldest forms of entertainment.
Coco learned to strum a small guitar after slipping into a white jacket that resembled one worn by a famous heartthrob entertainer.
She also wore a chili pepper patterned vest and sombrero before cracking up the audience by playing maracas.
Lupo raised Coco the monkey since she was a baby. He treated her with love and gentleness. Everything in the act was done tastefully and showed great training.
The only tense moment during the pre-concert performance came when a woman in the audience chastised Lupo for having Coco perform for the public. More than likely, she represented an animal rights organization. Lupo handled the criticism with a great deal of tact, letting the woman know that everyone is entititled to an opinion.
The only tense moment during the pre-concert performance came when a woman in the audience chastised Lupo for having Coco perform for the public. More than likely, she represented an animal rights organization. Lupo handled the criticism with a great deal of tact, letting the woman know that everyone is entititled to an opinion.
Given the fact that Lupo and Coco have been working together for so long, and that the animal is treated with dignity and respect, obviously entertaining hundreds of people, I found nothing tasteless about the act.
Would I prefer for all monkeys to be free, jumping from tree to tree in a jungle somewhere? Yes, probably I would. But if they are not in their native habitat, like Coco, I don't see anything terribly wrong about being part of age-old entertainment such as an organ grinder and monkey team.
(The complaining "lady" I observed this past weekend, however, is another story. Her behavior was rather rude and disrespectful.)
DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION ON ANIMALS BEING PART OF ENTERTAINMENT FOR HUMANS? DO YOU THINK IT'S OKAY FOR THEM TO BE PART OF CIRCUS ACTS AND OTHER KINDS OF PERFORMANCES?
Would I prefer for all monkeys to be free, jumping from tree to tree in a jungle somewhere? Yes, probably I would. But if they are not in their native habitat, like Coco, I don't see anything terribly wrong about being part of age-old entertainment such as an organ grinder and monkey team.
(The complaining "lady" I observed this past weekend, however, is another story. Her behavior was rather rude and disrespectful.)
DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION ON ANIMALS BEING PART OF ENTERTAINMENT FOR HUMANS? DO YOU THINK IT'S OKAY FOR THEM TO BE PART OF CIRCUS ACTS AND OTHER KINDS OF PERFORMANCES?
.JPG)
.jpg)
.JPG)
9 comments:
Hi Susan, A fellow Cranberry Glass collector...well, I'll be.
Your collection is beautiful. I know what you mean about the sentimental value of some pieces because how you received them. Thanks for visiting me and letting me know you are out here. I am now a new follower of your blog. *hugs*
They look very happy together. Not sure I would want that for most monkeys, but this seems like a positive situation. The 'Lady' rude!
I don't know about this monkey but I don't like to see large animals performing like elephants and even whales...
I don't know in every situation - you can make a blanket statement. But in this case - they have been together for so long and seem sweet together.
We need to live in peace girl. sandie
James Taylor AND Carole King?!!!! Be still my heart.
As for the animals as entertainment, I can't help but think that most are not treated very well. I love animals.
WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME to Mo and Michelle, the 116th and 117th Followers! So great to have you join us. We have fun! Take care.
Hi everyone! Soooooo happy you are all stopping by. Love you all! Susan
Thanks for sharing this Susan. Always like to see your photos. Coco looks like she is treated well.
Have a good weekend,
Karen :)
Hello, Is anybody there?
© 2019 - Pe Jung Labs
This is my cousin. Coco, Mickey, Gigi, Angelo, etc. Were loved, cared for and treated as children. This was a deep rooted love and appreciation of culture and tradition passed down. The level of care, and more importantly respect. Was something most people might not understand. You couldn’t just go poke them or laugh at them and think of them as your cat or dog. Anyone who thinks their dog or cat are as in tune and truly understanding of us humans, have no idea. Tony wasn’t a handler, a dad or a parent. He was the alpha male. He was respected and loved. He was everything to those Capuchin monkeys. They gave him the unconditional love and respect. That he as the human treated them with. They were loved every day of their life. And it reflected in my interactions with them. As life moved forward and age, medical conditions and time caught up it was more honorable to ensure they could finish out their lives in a habitat that suited them. Only when their father, master, best friend and human who would’ve died for them. Had his on brush with mortality. They were able to live their lives out cared for and loved in the warm south. With the later advent of FaceTime and internment they could still communicate and love each other. It’s amazing the connection still worked over the internet, and when visiting in person. I am so proud to Gabe learned so much from my “Uncle Tony”. Someone of his stature isn’t my cousin being younger. He will always be Uncle to me. He is the best. They are so happy and I miss those monkeys so much. I love all of you who might see this.
Post a Comment