In May 2020, Christian Cooper was in an area called the Ramble in Central Park in New York. It’s a beautiful place, he says, and vital to the local bird population. So when he saw a dog off its leash, which is not permitted in the Ramble to protect the birds, he confronted the owner.
The woman, angry that Cooper was filming, said she would call the police and say ‘an African American’ man was threatening her if he did not stop. The video went viral and the ugly incident sparked fury, coming as it did on the same day as the death of George Floyd.
Cooper says he knew something like this could happen to him, as a birder who is black, and that it is symptomatic of a much deeper problem. But, he tells Hannah Moore, he is determined to use the platform he has gained to show that the natural world is for everyone. He tells her why he still loves visiting Central Park in May and the surprising wildlife that can be found even in the most urban of areas.
Photograph: Elias Williams/The Guardian
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