In an extraordinary 2017 solar eclipse, zoo animals displayed peculiar behaviors that took researchers by surprise. Galapagos tortoises started mating, while gibbons serenaded with unfamiliar melodies. Gorillas settled into their nighttime routines, and giraffes momentarily bolted from imagined threats. Interestingly, wild aerial creatures responded to the dimming skies by halting their daylight pursuits, perceiving the phenomenon as an impending storm.