In May 2020, Christian Cooper, a dedicated birder, was on his home turf in New York’s Central Park looking for the elusive mourning warbler when he came across a “bird” he had never encountered. The woman was later given the name “Central Park Karen” after Cooper asked her to leash her dog in the Ramble, a natural zone where dogs are not allowed to run free, and she called the cops on him.
This situation could’ve gone poorly for Cooper, a Black man. However, like most birders when encountering a rare species, he was ready. He began filming the interaction on his cell phone and later posted it online, where it went viral.
The recording caused the woman to lose her job and her dog. Cooper, who felt that the woman had already paid enough for her actions, did not press charges…