Quebec zoo examined animal behaviour during last week's total solar eclipse

As darkness settled during last week's total solar eclipse, Japanese macaques turned their backs to the sun and red crowned cranes went uncharacteristically quiet.

The zoo's research and conservation department was approached by an astrophysics professor from the Université du Québec à Montréal about taking part in an animal behaviour study and collecting data on how they reacted during the rare phenomenon.

Granby Zoo is located in the province's Estrie region, which had among the best views of rare total solar eclipse in southern Quebec.

The Japanese macaques, a monkey species native to Japan, for example, had a reaction to the eclipse that was the opposite of what the researchers anticipated.

Tahrs, ungulates that are related to goats and sheep, normally spend their afternoons calmly resting, with half of those in the zoo usually lying down.

The zoo tried to collect data on a wide range of species, including some that are typically active during the day and others that tend to be more nocturnal.