one by one and two by two and three by three

On Monday, the Queens-Midtown tunnel is going to be closed--for a parade of walking elephants!

Accompanied by their handlers, the elephants walk in single file, using their snouts to grip the tails of the elephants in front of them.

"They look like a group of kindergarteners walking down the street, holding hands," said Aria. "It's very magical. The tunnel is pretty quiet with that eerie echo effect. You hear the elephants snorting and the horses' hooves on the ground. But the big payoff is when you come out of that tunnel."

Thousands of people gather at 35th St. and Second Ave. to cheer the animals as they exit the murky depths of the East River. With the New York Police Department acting as crowd control, the elephants head down to 34th St. before venturing west.

"That's the most exciting moment of the year," said Griggs. "A herd of elephants walking in the middle of Manhattan just doesn't happen every day. People are going to get a closer look at our elephants than any zoo in America."

There are no chains or whips on the Animal Walks. Elephants are good listeners. They know their names very well and can respond to almost 60 verbal commands. As the massive mammals trod across 34th St., their handlers constantly talk with them as a source of comfort.