The fatal beating of a Patas monkey at Zoo Boise outraged the community. And then it mobilized the community.

Give credit to Friends of Zoo Boise for stepping up in the aftermath of a senseless crime.

Friends of Zoo Boise has pledged $209,000 to replace the Patas monkey exhibit with a 1,000-square-foot indoor enclosure. The group has also pledged to pay to transport two new Patas monkeys, donated from the Rosamund Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, N.Y.

The new monkeys will be a crucial acquisition. Patas monkeys live in groups, and Zoo Boise needed to find long-term companionship for its one remaining Patas monkey.

The break-in and fatal beating left a void in this community, as well. But something good has grown from the anger and the disbelief. Gradually, since Nov. 17, emptiness has given way to a deeper appreciation for the zoo and its creatures.

We are, as a community, all friends of Zoo Boise.

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