Alabama declarations of love to animals (9 photos)

Some people love dogs, others adore cats. Still others prefer parrots or exotic chameleons. But one thing is clear: without our smaller brothers, the world would not be so beautiful in its diversity.





Monuments are erected to especially distinguished animals. Specific or some kind/kind. Grateful Alabama residents have installed as many as four such dedications in their state. Perhaps they are not the most aesthetically attractive, but they are sincere and, as they say, from the heart.

Monument to Leroy Brown



Largemouth Bass

In 1973, Tom Mann, a famous fisherman, fishing equipment entrepreneur and regional television personality, caught a bass in Lake Eufaula and realized that the fish was no ordinary fish. No, not gold, of course, but special. Mann took the fish home, put it in a pool with dozens of others, and named it Leroy Brown after a Jim Crowes song that had been released the year before. Leroy was known for his aggressiveness, which caused even larger fish to avoid him. And soon the bully was moved to a separate aquarium.





Tom Mann and the monument to his special pet

When Leroy Brown died on August 20, 1980, Mann organized a funeral for his beloved bass. The governor of Alabama declared a day of mourning. Hundreds of people attended the memorial service to walk past the velvet-lined tackle box coffin and place a gummy worm in it. The fish now has a marble tombstone and a statue engraved with a wistful farewell: “Most bass are just fish, but Leroy Brown was something special.”

Miss Baker's grave



Miss Able and Miss Baker

Near the Space Center is the final resting place of a squirrel monkey who made a space flight. In 1959, the American space program launched a primate named Miss Baker into the sky for 16 minutes. After this, scientists safely removed the tailed traveler and her companion Miss Able from the Atlantic Ocean.



Miss Baker's grave

Ms. Baker lived for more than a decade at the Naval Air and Space Medical Center in Pensacola before dying of kidney failure. Her tombstone is often decorated with bananas. This is both a hint at the inhumane and controversial practice of sending living beings into space without their consent, and a touching monument to the monkey who survived this journey.

Monument to the Cotton Weevil



cotton weevil

Elegant and claiming to comply with the best classical traditions, the monument to the weevil, erected in 1919, is a rare and unique object. Surprisingly, the elegant sculpture was erected in honor of the agricultural menace. The cotton pest was once the scourge of farmers throughout the American South and parts of Mexico and South America.



But the disaster gave birth to some brilliant ideas. Farmers in Enterprise, Alabama, who had long depended on cotton, saw the boll weevil as an incentive to diversify their crops. As a result, it turned out that other crops, such as peanuts, can be successfully grown on the same lands. And this led to the development of the region and an influx of money. In 1998, the original statue was damaged by vandals. It was removed to a nearby museum, and an exact copy was installed in its place. The valuable pest remains the center of attention.

Key Underwood Memorial Raccoon Dog Cemetery



Raccoon dog

The practice of setting up cemeteries for pets is not that new. Similar ones are found in different cities and countries. But this is intended exclusively for raccoon dogs; there is no place for representatives of other species.



One of the oldest burials in the cemetery

The cemetery was founded by Key Underwood on September 4, 1937. For more than 80 years, owners have buried their dogs here, dedicating tender epitaphs to their pets carved on wood, metal and stone. The cemetery itself is a large monument to the love and friendship between people and their furry pets.