Edgar Rice Burroughs

Man Introduces Wife To His “Extended” Family- In The Jungle!

When we get married, we not only adopt our partner’s family, but we adopt their passions and interests. When Victoria married Damian Aspinall, it meant she’d have to get used to Damian’s lifelong love of animals. Not only was Damian the owner of two zoos, but he had helped raise two baby gorillas when he was still a child! Damian helped to rear the two baby gorillas until they were able to be released into the wild, an experience that bonded him so strongly to the gorillas that he still thought of them as part of his extended family. He even referred to them as his cousins!
Read the Full Article at Herald Weekly
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Koko: Gorilla who mastered sign language dies in California

Koko the gorilla, who is said to have been able to communicate by using more than 1,000 hand signs, has died in California at the age of 46.

Instructors taught her a version of American Sign Language and say she used it to convey thoughts and feelings.

The abilities of the gorilla, who also apparently understood some spoken English, were documented by animal psychologist Francine Patterson.

She adopted and named pets, including a kitten she called All Ball.

Read the Full Story on BBC.

(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

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Reserve with rare gorillas finally protected

Punched by a gorillaLast Thursday, on June 23, the provincial governor of South Kivu formally approved the boundaries of the Itombwe Reserve in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the last strongholds of the Grauer’s gorilla. Conservationists have cheered this move.

Read the full article Right Here!

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Jane Goodall: Slain Zoo Gorilla Was ‘Putting an Arm Round the Child’

Punched by a gorillaAn interesting Zoo Case!

Jane Goodall, one of the world’s most renowned primatologists, wrote an email on Tuesday to the director of the Cincinnati Zoo, saying she thought the slain gorilla may have been protecting the boy who fell into the animal’s exhibit.

The scientist and animal rights activist extended her sympathies to the zoo’s director, Thane Maynard, amid national backlash over the shooting death of a 17-year-old western lowland gorilla named Harambe.

Read the Full Article at Time.com!

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Gorilla Shot Dead at Cincinnati Zoo After Child Climbs in Enclosure

Punched by a gorillaSad story today:

A 17-year-old gorilla was shot dead Saturday by a Cincinnati Zoo employee who feared the animal would harm a child who had climbed into its enclosure, according to officials.

The 4-year-old boy climbed under a railing and through wires and fell about 10 feet into the enclosure at about 4 p.m., said Cincinnati Zoo director Thayne Maynard.

First responders “witnessed a gorilla who was violently dragging and throwing the child,” Cincinnati Fire Department Chief Marc Monahan wrote in a statement.

Read the full article at NBC News!

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She Grows Up With Gorillas.12 Years Later When They’re Reunited? This Left Me Speechless!

A heartwarming story and video!

The nonprofit Tansy Aspinall was launched among the gorillas at Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent, England. One little girl helped with everyday activities in the family’s charity, The Aspinall Foundation, working to rehabilitate gorillas who had been in captivity. The nonprofit organization’s goal is to be able to release the gorillas back into their native habitat in West Africa.

Read the full article at Newsner!

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Virunga National Park’s Warden and a Gorilla – a real Friendship

Patrick Karabaranga and a Gorilla
Source: Phil Moore / AFP / Getty Images

A truly inspirational photo – the warden at the Virunga National Park in Congo, Patrick Karabaranga, sharing a bonding moment with one of the orphaned gorillas he takes care of inside the sanctuary. As he states on his profile:

Patrick Karabaranga carrying a Gorilla

Patrick carrying his companion. Courtesy of BBC.

“Baby gorillas need as much affection and attention as human babies. My colleagues and I take turns caring for them 24/7. In the morning, we prepare their bottles and then later we feed them fruit and other native plants. The whole time that we are doing this, we are also playing with them and showering them with affection … we should really stop persecuting them and destroying their habitat.

Let’s not forget how close gorillas and humans are, both in terms of genetics and their social structure. No surprise Patrick finds them to be “Man’s best friend!” You can learn more about him and his work by clicking here, and please consider donating to the gorilla conservation fund!

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