One of the most infamous scandals in the history of zoos was the Monkey House Scandal, which rocked the world of animal conservation in the early 20th century. The victim of this scandal was Ota Benga, a Congolese man who was put on display in the Monkey House at the Bronx Zoo in New York City in 1906.

Ota Benga was brought to the United States by explorer Samuel Verner, who claimed to have saved him from being killed by a warring tribe in Africa. However, instead of returning Ota Benga to his homeland, Verner decided to exhibit him at the Bronx Zoo as a "missing link" between humans and apes.

Despite protests from the African American community and human rights activists, Ota Benga was forced to live in a cage in the Monkey House, alongside monkeys and other primates. He was subjected to taunts and jeers from zoo visitors, who saw him as a curiosity to be gawked at.

The Monkey House Scandal came to an end when Ota Benga was eventually released from the zoo and taken in by a group of African American ministers. However, the trauma of his experience at the Bronx Zoo left lasting scars on Ota Benga, who tragically took his own life in 1916.

The story of Ota Benga is a tragic reminder of the dehumanizing effects of racism and colonialism. It serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of viewing people from different cultures as objects to be exploited for entertainment or scientific curiosity.

To learn more about Ota Benga and the Monkey House Scandal, you can visit the following links:

• National Geographic - Ota Benga and the Bronx Zoo
• Smithsonian Magazine - Remembering Ota Benga

It is important to remember the tragic story of Ota Benga and the Monkey House Scandal, in order to ensure that such atrocities are never repeated in the future.

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