John Mastroberardino ©WCS
October 24, 2022
The Hatching
- as seen by -
John N. Mastroberardino
After rounding the corner past the Pentaceratops at Dinosaurs in Darkness, I am relieved to find the baby Tyrannosaurus rex sound asleep. Mama T. rex found it, and everything seems copacetic. Papa, however, is nowhere around. A nearby television blares a special news report – Papa T. rex doesn’t know that his baby is safe, and he’s furious. A glance down the trail leads to a terrifying realization.
The electric fence has been broken, and Papa T. rex is roaming freely around the Bronx Zoo.
Exiting the containment zone elicits deep anxiety. I’m clawing at my throat. Where’s Papa T. rex? What’s going to happen when he finds me? Can he sense my pounding heart?
I can’t pinpoint the direction, but I know he is nearby. I hold my camera close. Maybe the flash will distract him long enough to allow me a quick escape.
Suddenly, a shape moves from the darkness ahead of me. Leaves crunch. I press the shutter button. Is it Papa T. rex? I’m not sticking around to find out.
There’s one more weekend of Dinosaurs in Darkness: The Hatching at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo. Get tickets here, and experience the terror while you can.
Nikon Z7 II
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