What is Love?

What does it truly mean to love someone not of your own species? This kind of love can't be easily described with words, especially because it's almost impossible to parse within this void we call society. For most, it almost feels innate to love humans and humans only. We've never been aware of what this different love is, only that it's wrong. It's not human, not normal, or not even acceptable to most.
 
Well, as it happens I’ve asked these six zoos what interspecies love is to them, Trill, Tarro Maverick, Milk, Feline and Narugit. These zoos, which you might already know, all work towards a common goal of equity between species. They are all people of great poise and kindness. I thank them graciously for their participation, and well thought out answers. Without further ado here is our question and individual answers!
 
 
Q: What does it truly mean to you, to fall in love with another species?
 
Maverick: “to me falling in love with a different species is similar to falling in love with a human a deep sense of affection, attachment, tenderness, and desire to care for them.” Maverick continues-
 
“Genuine love is not possession it is care without entitlement.”
 
 
Here Maverick ties together human and non-human attraction. I can't help but agree, really. I also find fascinating the direction they really took the question to mean what love truly and really is. I believe selflessness is, in fact, a core part of being zooey and that’s wonderful.
 
Milk also carries this same selflessness in her words.
 
 
Q: What does it truly mean to you, to fall in love with another species?
 
Milk: “To me it means accepting my status as also an animal.” Milk elaborated with
 
“We’re equal”
 
 
It’s this opinion that I see almost solely expressed by the zoo-sexuals around me. This humility, admitting we are and have been, the same.
 
 
Q: What does it truly mean to you, to fall in love with another species?
 
Trill: “To me, my love for animals is a form of gratitude. For a mode of being we usually only get glimpses at.” Trill states poetically - “the line between myself and another blurs.”
 
 
I think this anecdote really re-enforces an idea I’ve had for quite a while. Sometimes, zoo love borders worship more than relationship really, us zoos are so very lovesick it’s quite charming really. However Feline has a quite simpler take.
 
 
Q: What does it truly mean to you, to fall in love with another species?
 
Feline: “A romantic bond where you know each other, and are right for each-other on an emotional level.” Feline continues, “it also means going out places together, eating together, watching a movie together, I don’t think it needs to be sexual at all.”
 
 
I think this is especially important because we tend to forget the beauty of the monotonous everyday. To place value on it is to stay in those moments just a little longer. 
 
Narugit has something else to say.
 
 
Q: What does it truly mean to you, to fall in love with another species?
 
Narugit: “For me to truly love another species is to blur our differences, to treat them in a way where those differences don’t matter anymore. To love them despite the difficulties.”
 
 
Isn’t that just what being zoo is, to be different in such a simple way and to persevere no matter what?
 
Tarro shares a quite similar sentiment.
 
 
Q: What does it truly mean to you, to fall in love with another species?
 
Tarro: “To me its pretty similar to falling in love with another human” Tarro proceeds “And there are definitely ways those relationships are different, but when it comes to the actual love part I love them both it feels the same.”
 
To conclude this article, I believe there was a collective theme within each experience: the willingness to blur lines and accept equality between humans and animals. As Tarro put it quite honestly, for us zoos true love is the same experience that all love is. It's not a different or lesser category of love, no matter your sexuality it is the same.
 
Love is Love. It is such a simple statement, it was there the whole time. Even then, I couldn't realize that as a young zoo. I needed someone the look me in the eyes and tell me that this love could be just as valid as the next. I believe that many readers might need that right at this moment especially in this political climate. Love is and will always be true.
 
I have one final person left to ask: What does it truly mean to you, to fall in love with another species?
 
 
 
 
 
Article written by Solo (October 2026) 
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