RIP Nkosi Gorilla

Nkosi Gorilla, silverback and troop leader at the North Carolina Zoo has died in the prime of life. As you will recall, Nkosi did not come out last Monday, and was being kept under observation behind the scenes. I was not aware then of what was happening, and details continue to be unclear, but now the Zoo's Facebook page has this:

According to the Zoo’s Curator of Mammals Adrian Fowler, Nik became ill more than a week ago with symptoms that included headaches and loss of appetite. His condition had “waxed and waned” over the ensuing week until early Sunday morning when he “finally collapsed,”...

Things got so bad that euthanasia become the only option. There will be a necropsy, and hopefully we'll have answers as to what went wrong with this handsome, young, strong male. Born on  26 September, 1991 at the Columbus Zoo, Nkosi was not quite 22 years old and is survived by his mother Toni, daughter to Colo, the world's oldest living gorilla, and the first gorilla ever born in captivity. He was father to three, our own Bomassa and Apollo, both just one year old, and Columbus's Dotty, born in 2004. The boys are going to have a rough time without their daddy.

Seen below, Nik, as he was called by the keepers, consoled Olympia, tenderly stroking her face,  as she held Apollo after a scuffle. The jobs of the silverback are to breed, to protect his ladies and their babies, and to keep the peace within the troop.  His absence leaves a huge hole in the fabric of the troop. Nik's kindness, patience and magnificence in fulfilling his duties is unmatchable.

When Gorillas Learn to Walk

Gorilla escape! Baby Bomassa is scrambling away from his mother. She is not far away, just out of the picture to the left. At six months old, and 11 pounds, he is ready to go, go, go! But Jamani Gorilla will grab him back pretty quickly, when  she senses that he is getting too close to the other mom.  He of course wants to go to Olympia, because he wants to entice her baby, his half-brother Apollo to come out and play.

I spoke at length with the keepers and learned what happens when Bomassa is off-exhibit, meaning when he is in the private area where the gorillas sleep at night and spend their days when the weather is cold or nasty. There are times when Bomassa is alone with his mother in their own secure area backstage. Bomassa then runs WILD, climbing incessantly and zooming around, fully exploring the surroundings at top speed. Jamani sees no reason to hold back Bomassa  when he is not in danger of another kidnapping.  He wears himself out back there, says the zookeeper, who looks forward to coming in of a morning, to find out what the little tyke has been up to. Those energetic mornings explain why we often see him sleeping on his mother's back by the time he gets outdoors. But on this warm and delightful day in Asheboro, North Carolina,  it was great to see Bomassa having so much fun on the green grass.