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Gorilla Distraught Over Her Dead Baby
August 19, 2008 12:42 PM
By Christel Kucharz, ABC News Producer, Germany
11-year-old gorilla mother Gana has been distraught and grieving over the sudden death of her baby Claudio.
The 3-month-old gorilla baby died suddenly in his mothers arms last Saturday at the gorilla compound of the zoo in Muenster, Germany.
Visitors of the zoo witnessed a picture of pure grief as the mother gorilla stared at the corpse in shock and bewilderment over the sudden death, as if she could not believe what happened.
“She was holding her baby in her arms when it died,” zoo director Joerg Adler told reporters, “at first she was just holding her baby and then she started stroking the body to try and bring it back to life unable to accept that her baby is dead.”
“She gently placed him on her back and walked slowly around the compound, stopping every few paces to look if he had returned to life. It is heartbreaking,” he said.
“Some of the zoo visitors were so moved, they could not stop crying.”
Zoo veterinarian Dirk Wewers explained, “What we see here is a mother’s farewell to her dead child. This kind of behaviour is totally normal for all monkeys, not just gorillas. These animals have a very close attachment to their babies and they need time to cope with death. In the wild, it can sometimes take a week or two before the mother finally will let go.”
“This is perhaps one of the gifts a zoo can offer – to show that animals are very much like us when it comes to feel[ing] elation and pain. Gana’s loss is teaching our visitors so much.”
Officials say that Claudio’s body will be examined to establish what caused his death, but so far mother Gana is not letting anyone close to him.
She’s still carrying the lifeless body around, holding it tight to her and slowly walking around in her compound.
And though she appears a bit calmer today, zookeepers are still unable to get to the body of the gorilla baby, so fiercely is his mother guarding him.
August 19, 2008 in Christel Kucharz | Permalink | User Comments (38)
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I am sorry the comments are going all over the place. I feel sorry for Gana. This story was just heartbreaking.
For those arguing against zoos, I have this to say: In a perfect world, all animals could live in their natural habitat. Unfortunately, the world isn't perfect. (Chances are, the abode you live in, whether a house, cottage, tent or apartment, encroaches on the natural habitat of some animal.) OK, so the world isn't perfect. Zoos exist to educate people about all aspects of animals. Many animals live longer in captivity because they don't have to worry about being hunter - by man or a natural predator. Because animals are in captivity, we learn about them - and us. Zoos are very necessary. Now, be nice.
Posted by: Erlinda | Aug 19, 2008 10:52:57 PM
Citizen in Fl is neither human nor animal...it's a troll.
Posted by: Firecracker | Aug 19, 2008 11:31:51 PM
I love your comment Firecracker!!
Posted by: gummypot | Aug 20, 2008 12:08:23 AM
"Volunteer work? And that is going to make up for my actions how? I work hard for my money, so I do what I please with no concern for y'all."
Folks don't volunteer to make up for their actions. They do it just to do it. It is called being altruistic. You do it just to do it. It benefits others, and you might find it makes you feel good, too.
And it doesn't cost a penny. If you are as successful as you say you are, you might want to try it. It's called giving back in thanksgiving for your good fortune. If your fortune isn't good, it's nice to something just for the sake of doing something good. You cannot measure it's value in dollars, chinchilla coats or SUVs.
Try it.
Posted by: Erlinda | Aug 20, 2008 2:59:25 AM
Fla Citizen,
I think you are really annoying a lot of people, and it boils down to an enormous amount of egotism. It's a free country though, so they can't stop you from being an ass, and obviously you can't stop yourself...
Posted by: Edward | Aug 20, 2008 3:05:10 AM
Yanno, People advocate that evolution is the how we developed....
I hope not. We got a centro psychotic engineer proclaiming he eat the cockroaches he kills after scrubbing Sulfur from the air, We got people who are honest about wishing ovarian cancer ON that same engineer, and a few who just want to know why we all can't just get along. Maybe I should buy a ticket to deevolve.....I don't remember animals destroying their environments so badly they need engineers to repair it and I really don't think that any of them wish testicular cancer on that animal engineers wife. yes, this IS meant humourously. But seriously, most of you reaffirm my dislike of humankind and show me my own respect for the animal kingdom. RIP Claudio. My condolences Gana, gorilla mama
Posted by: rayhagermanniraqvet | Aug 20, 2008 5:20:26 AM
Wow fellow humans- I thought the blogs were for considerate remarks about the featured story. It doesn't matter whether an animal is being cared for in a zoo or in it's natural habitat. Life & Death are facts of all forms of life.
P.S. I will never fall for the notion that we "evolved" and I will never stop eating meats.
Posted by: TropikBreze | Aug 20, 2008 9:10:29 AM
Citizen in FL has the writing skills of a 10th grader and a matching maturity level - and this comes from a super conservative ultra right wing kind of guy. Citizens in FL, drop the big shot BS and maybe someone will listen to what you have to say - and if you say you don't care if they do or not - then how about refraining from posting your tripe.... TIA.
Posted by: scotsdad | Aug 20, 2008 9:14:51 AM
Yes, animals feel everything we feel. Its extremely self centered and arraogant to think we are the only species that can think, feel, grieve. I dare say animals are far more advanced than us in that they don't have to have language and written words to communicate. God made us all and though we like to think we are the greatest because we are made in his image, just remember its only an image, he didn't say we were his best only what he did to help us out, like seeing over the beasts of the Earth. We aren't doing such a great job lately, though, have we.
Posted by: Brenda | Aug 20, 2008 9:55:15 AM
hey get off evelyns back. i kinda agree wid her animals belong in the wild. and thats where they were before man came and acted like he owned the place. and "citezin in fl" i guess you would just have us all live like you until we fried in the sun from global warming.
Posted by: Chick from NC | Aug 20, 2008 12:52:49 PM
I think McCain has passed away like this little baby gorilla but no one has noticed yet. His personality leads me to believe this
Posted by: Marjorie Kalman | Aug 20, 2008 9:29:59 PM
"-Me and my wife are both young, very educated and very successful. " It is my wife and I. and No. You are not educated.
Posted by: John | Aug 21, 2008 5:36:17 AM
lolol wow look at all the action I missed. All I see is a bunch of haters!
Posted by: Citizen in FL | Aug 21, 2008 11:04:14 AM
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