Gorillas Up the Wall

They're driving Apollo Gorilla Up the Wall

or maybe he's just found a climbable spot! In the spirit of the very young child he still is, he keeps practicing and practicing and practicing. When we were kids we called it play. But experts in child psychology tell us that when kids are playing, they are doing it to learn, to develop skills, to get stronger. See that spot over there on the right, near the grate? There is just enough of a texture on that wall to give Apollo some places to rest one foot, as he holds a higher spot with one of his big hands. Then he carefully places the other foot, and again, a hand, until he gets up pretty high!  Eventually he runs out of places conducive to climbing and he leaps backwards and drops to get down again.  Don't worry, he can't get out. That wall slopes the other way as it gets higher. And it's quite a high wall, designed so that the animals can't possibly hoist themselves high enough to get themselves into trouble. But it's fun to watch him try. #YouCouldGo!

Baby Gorillas in Action

Here's a video of the gorillas of the North Carolina Zoo taken by b palmento, a major fan of the adorable Bomassa and Apollo and the rest of their family. Some nice basic footage which shows you how the gorillas behave on an everyday basis. A few notes, so that you know a little bit about who is who and what is happening. The video starts with Jamani coming down from the tree, Bomassa on her back. Then we have Olympia following, with Apollo on her back. Next we see Acacia enter from stage right. At about 1:30 we see Acacia approaching and climbing the tree. At 1:52 we see Jamani give a little hop as Olympia barrels in from the right. Olympia is dominant, and sometimes Jamani appears a little scared of her and makes sure to clear out of her way. Jamani is the biggest of the three lady gorillas. Therefore her deference to the smaller Olympia is surprising, an interesting dynamic to observe. At 2:54 we see Apollo hopping down from the rock he has climbed. As the son of the dominant female, he is always asserting himself over his big brother. So he climbs up on the rock to the get the upper hand. But then our sweet Bomassa bares his teeth and strikes out, causing Apollo to leap down and go away. Highly unusual! If you have been reading this blog for a little while, you know that Bomassa sometimes runs to mama for safety. It's nice to see him standing his ground against that little tyke Apollo!

For even more interesting videos about the gorillas check out the YouTube stream of b palmento.

The Jumping Stage

Apollo is enthralled these days with jumping. When I visited recently, he had climbed to the top of the tree structure, which is some 12 to 15 feet off the ground, I would guess.

Mother Olympia sits down below unconcerned as her son balances precariously

Up top, there is a platform. One of the gorillas had just hiked up there to dump a great load of straw. Rising above the platform by about three feet or so, is a post in the shape of a log. Apollo had climbed up to that very high platform, and then would hoist himself up onto the post. Next he would jump down the short distance and land on the straw covered platform.  And then he would do it again. And again!  He was having a wonderful time climbing, then balancing, then jumping. Over and over again. It's how kids learn motor skills, through play, through repetition, through practice. Whether it's a gorilla-kid or a people-kid, the story is the same. 

Here he comes!  Ready to land on that platform and scramble back up the post

Gorillas at the Top

What do Baby Gorillas Want

when they climb up high?  Apollo seems to like to climb up to the very top of the structure just for fun. Certainly it's wonderful for him, and helps him build strength and agility. But then when he gets up there, he does like to find his mom and hang out with her for awhile. He's a very social little guy.

Granted, it might take a minute or two for mother gorilla and her baby to get comfortable.

And then when it's all over, Olympia usually helps her little son get down safely. 

Awe-Inspiring Gorilla Climbing Skills

Baby Like a Rocket

Apollo is not even two years old yet, but he shoots up the climbing tree in no time flat. Just a few months ago, he would proceed tentatively, but now he is sure of his every move and moves fast. Sometimes when I watch him climb, I just stand there and gasp.

This past Monday he used those capable hands and feet of his to get right up to the top in just a few minutes. He does not need any help at all from his mom, but sometimes, he does like to go and find Olympia,  and climb on her too.

Would You Let Your Sixteen Month Old Climb this Structure?

Baby gorilla climbs alone!

Bomassa has been climbing for months now, and Apollo started not long after. But here's something I had never seen before!  Little 21 pound Apollo is at the top of the structure, and mother Olympia is nowhere to be seen. She is not on the structure. She is not seated at the bottom of the structure, she is not anywhere around. She is not looking, she is not concerned.  She was resting under the shelter. It was a rainy day and a bit chilly, so she was spending a good part of the day curled up and keeping warm. Apollo had plenty of energy and was tired of lying around, I guess. So he headed over and bounded right up, and just kept right on going until he got to the very top.

See the raindrops dripping off the log in the picture below? Don't worry, it's probably not slippery. That structure is built to be safe under all conditions. But what a terrific training ground for the babies. It provides some challenges, and obviously mother Olympia has faith in her sixteen month old boy to let him climb when she is not right there watching.

Follow us on Google Plus!

Look at Apollo's face as he works hard to hang on to the log. 

Can Gorillas Climb a Pole?

You bet! Both Apollo and Bomassa have been observed climbing up a metal pole which is part of structure people call the tree. Here's the younger brother, on his way up the pole. Once he gets up there, there's nowhere to go. I think the pole might have something of a ceiling over it. So he climbs up. And he climbs down, and he climbs up, and he climbs down. Olympia, Apollo's mother, sits nearby picking seeds out of the straw and eating them.

Where the Wild Things Are

Better Climbing Skills

Bomassa has been working on his climbing skills and is becoming a master.  Not too long ago, he tried but was completely unable to climb the rock you see below in this photo. At that point, his mom had to help him. Now he and his brother can do it all by themselves. Last week, they spent close to an hour climbing the rock, and jumping off again. It's about four feet high, and they were having fun pouncing on each other from the perch.  Adorably cute! But the best part was when Bomassa evoked a famous illustration from Maurice Sendak's book Where the Wild Things Are.

Follow us over on Twitter.

North Carolina's Cutest Tourist Attraction

If you're on your way to North Carolina any time soon, you absolutely have to stop and see our baby gorillas! Our young boys Apollo and Bomassa are ever so fun to watch now that they're learning to climb. They are getting up sky high now. What you can't tell from this pic, is that Bomassa is hanging from the highest platform on the structure in the middle of the exhibit. The one everyone calls the tree. Scroll down to get an idea of the height of the tree.

Apollo is always struggling to keep up with Bomassa. Big brother is more daring, a little stronger, and definitely more adept and confident. That's why you see Bomassa way up high, and Apollo trying to follow! Apollo never did join his brother on those top branches. He's still timid yet.

Bomassa has been practicing climbing for ages, because his mother has allowed him the freedom. Reports from behind the scenes indicate that when mother and son are in their private quarters, Jamani is happy to let Bomassa climb on his own. She has blessed this activity for many months now, and he has gotten very strong. It used to be that when the gorillas would come out in the mornings, Bomassa would settle in to nurse from his mama and would go right to sleep. He'd be exhausted after a hard morning of climbing.

Jamani does not always stay right with Bomassa as he perches precariously atop the structure. Here above, he finds it convenient to put his foot on her face as he tries to stabilize himself.   You can see the entire tree below. I am guessing the very tops of the tree are a good 12 to 15 feet off the ground.

Bomassa does go up to the very top! I  don't think you would find too many people-moms letting their tiny tots climb up that high. But gorillas have special skills, uncommon strength, very long arms, and gigantic hands with lengthy fingers.  Besides, gorilla feet are shaped so as to function as an extra pair of hands, capable of grabbing on.

It can be scary to watch. But  Bomassa has it under control. Though strongly motivated he is very tentative. He inches along, little by little, grabbing one handhold and not letting go until he knows he's secure.

Below he's attached only at one point of contact and searches very carefully for another before he lets go.

When Bomassa summits Mount Tree, he hangs out where his mom is resting.

But that is not his goal so he does not stay long. Below you see our young blackback first put one foot down on the branch, and then he just lifts his last foot off the platform and gingerly moves forward. He is learning all about how long his limbs are, and what he's capable of. It's exciting to watch him discover his abilities! And yeah, that's his mom yawning in the photo immediately below. You can just barely see her open mouth on the right. She's not worried.  She believes in her son!

Bomassa Scales the Heights!

Major Milestone for Baby Bomassa Gorilla

Bomassa Gorilla of the North Carolina Zoo is climbing all the way up! Yes, that's our boy, all the way up there on the top left, mouthing on the stub of a branch. Directly below him, Acacia, set to become a first time mom this month,  gazes up at him. And on the right, some ways distant,  Jamani hangs out. She is not that concerned. Obviously, Bomassa has demonstrated to her that he is an able climber. This was all happening yesterday, July 3, between heavy downpours, so those logs are not even dry!

Acacia looks up at Bomassa while mother Jamani has a rest on the left

At fifteen pounds, Bomassa is a little smaller than his younger half-brother Apollo. But in terms of skill, big brother is way ahead. He started beating his chest some months ago; Apollo has yet to do so. Bomassa seems steadier on his feet, and seems to get around a little more quickly. It's possible that Apollo too is climbing up the structure everyone calls the tree, but I've not yet seen it.

Bomassa turns one year old soon. Follow him on Twitter!

You would think he would have trouble negotiating those big fat logs, but no.  His small arms, hands and feet  can handle them very well as he scales upwards. Of course he might reach down for his mom once in awhile, or check to see that she's nearby. 

Bomassa reaches down towards his mama

Once Bomassa goes all the way up on top, he can just sit and relax up there with his mom. His dad, the 21 year old N'kosi, makes a nest up there frequently. Visitors observing this often make allusion to the King of the Hill. But he's a self-assured silverback and does not seem to mind sharing the perch every now and then. With Bomassa climbing so skilfully already, at only ten months old, there's no telling what he'll be up to next time you come out and see him at the zoo!  

Jamani and Bomassa chillin' on the top of  the tree

Baby Gorilla Turns Nine Months Old

The Life of a Nine Month Old Gorilla at the North Carolina Zoo

Apollo Gorilla was born on August 31 of 2012, making this past Friday, May 31 his nine month old birthday.  Mother and baby are still doing absolutely great at the North Carolina Zoo.  On Thursday, we'll let you know just how rare that is.  But for now, you are probably wondering exactly what is happening in the world of a nine month old gorilla. Read on!

As you can see in the photo, Apollo still likes to spend plenty of time with or near his mom Olympia.  He will inch away from her to do some climbing. There are some small tree trunks he loves to cling onto as he sees just how high he can get. And he will take hold of two sticks of the bamboo growing in the brush and climb up between the two.  The bamboo is not very tall, because it's been hard to keep the gorillas out of there long enough to let some of the stalks grow big.  There are some grates which separate the gorillas from the zookeepers who tend to the needs of the animals and Apollo loves to climb on those structures!  He tenderly grabs hold of one rung with his hand, and will carefully wrap his toes around the lower wires and climb very patiently until he gets quite high.

Socially, he will go and see his brother Bomassa (who along with his mother Jamani, is also doing very well) and they will tussle with each other, showing teeth and batting at each other's heads and wrapping their arms around each other. I have not yet seen them chase each other, but that is surely coming. Just at the moment, Apollo is a little clumsy with his running. It's possible that he has not yet learned to keep his feet flat as he propels himself across the grass.  Apollo loves his daddy, Nkosi the Silverback, and that love is returned. On a few occasions, Nkosi actually picked up Apollo and gave him a little bit of a piggy back ride! 

And what does a baby gorilla eat? At nine months old, Bomassa and Apollo are still nursing, but not visibly. I have not seen them nurse in months, even when they are curled up in their mother's arms on a chilly day. But surely they are nursing at night. The moms are still lactating, that's for sure. There are times when you can see Olympia put her hand to her breast and take drop after drop of the sweet milk she is making.  Apollo will pick up peppers and eat that, and you've seen pics here of Bomassa eating celery and browse. They are pretty much on a diet of salad, branches, and bamboo. Both boys love kiwi, which is given as a treat when they have their training.  And a little while back, we showed you a picture of Apollo chomping down on a pretty yellow flower!

Do baby gorillas take naps? You bet. Both boys have times in the day when they get very sleepy. They will sleep on their mother's backs as the moms carry them from place to place, hanging on tightly to mama's fur all the while. And they will also curl up with their moms, especially when it's cold out. They might sleep then for a good hour, right in the middle of the day, when so many visitors have come to see them!

Speaking of visitors, one sweet little girl who was at the zoo Friday was telling her dad about how the gorilla moms put Pampers on the babies.  That was a cute concept, but no. Some gorilla babies DO wear diapers, if they have had to be removed from their moms. But not here at the NC Zoo. Everything is au naturel.   The boys must be pretty discreet about it, though, because I have never observed any evidence of either baby in the process.  The moms and the dad, yes.  The entire place gets cleaned out every day, so there is never much mess.

Recently both boys had their vaccinations.  They get shots pretty much like the shots that children get.  The moms were sedated slightly so that the boys could be tended to. Otherwise the moms would never have let their babies go for this treatment!  But the boys were fully awake, and needed to be held by two people each. Even at only some 15 pounds, they are extraordinarily strong.  Believe it or not they did not like the idea of getting shots. So there was some screaming. Nkosi was very upset at hearing the distress calls and paced nervously back and forth until the whole thing was over, and after,  he did not get his appetite back for awhile. But that's all in the past and all is well now.  We are so incredibly lucky to have two healthy baby gorillas at the NC Zoo.

Gorillas Sure Can Climb

North Carolina zoo gorillas are excellent climbers
Pictured below, we see Nkosi at the top of the climbing structure in the Forest Glade. He climbs up there frequently. Sometimes he first takes up quite a  big pile of straw and smooths it out and then makes himself a nice little nest to hang out in for an hour or more after one of his meals. This nesting behavior is very typical of Western Lowland Gorillas living in the wild as well, although they don't always build the nests up off the forest floor. The troop will spend their days roaming, searching for good feeding spots and after they have dined, each of the members will make a little nest in which to have a rest before moving on to the next lush area full of appealing vegetation.

You won't often see the female gorillas climbing that structure, but indeed they are able. As a matter of fact, Acacia, the eldest and smallest of the gorilla ladies, once picked up a fallen branch and laid it against the viewing glass and then proceeded to climb right up to the very top of the glass in such a way that it appeared she might actually be about to escape.  Someone caught this on camera. It's must see video! Do click through and take a look.

Apollo keeps warm and safe by riding Olympia, as his dad, Nkosi, is perched on the tower