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Thursday, November 1, 2012

Not All Baby Gorillas Grow Up

Bomassa rides on Jamani, right,  Apollo rides Olympia
Some baby gorillas never get the chance to grow into healthy adults. Even in the apparent safety of  a secure zoo enclosure,  gorilla babies face many threats. This year the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium lost a four-month old gorilla for unknown reasons. He simply became lethargic in his mother's arms. In a cruel twist of tragedy, the five year old much adored gorilla Tatu from the Prague zoo accidentally hung himself on a climbing structure this past July. The younger the gorilla, the more likely it is that problems will develop. Chicago's Lincoln Zoo saw the loss of a nine day old gorilla due to head injuries of unknown origin.

NC Zoo Gorilla Babies Thriving. Other than some continued moments of maternal jealousy,  Bomassa  and younger half -brother Apollo seem to be doing very well, nursing regularly and latching onto the furry backs of their mothers all under the watchful eye of their father, the silverback Nkosi.  When are you going out to see them ?

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