 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Search | Site Map |
 |
|||
 |
News Brookfield's hero is Koko's niece  Brookfield Zoo's Primate World had much to celebrate after an incident left a three-year-old in the hospital and an eight-year-old lowland gorilla a hero. Though she didn't realize her hero status, Binti Jua's natural maternal display of caring for the young boy who accidentally fell into the gorilla compound at Brookfield's Primate World was an occasion to be proud.Born at the Columbus Zoo in March, 1988, to parents Sunshine and Lulu, Binti Jua is the niece of Koko, the world famous gorilla who first made headlines in the 1970's for her ability to communicate with humans through the use of American Sign Language. Koko, who currently resides at The Gorilla Foundation in Woodside, California, is Sunshine's older sister. "Koko's reaction to the news in Brookfield was interesting," said Dr. Francine "Penny" Patterson, Director of The Gorilla Foundation. "After we showed Koko the news footage I asked her about Binti. She answered 'lip,' her word for girl, and 'good' when asked what Binti had done." Binti Jua was transferred to the San Francisco Zoo for hand raising in June, 1988, and later transferred to the Brookfield Zoo for maternal lessons in February, 1991, in preparation for her own baby's birth. Though the incident in Brookfield was potentially dangerous for the young boy, the outcome once again proved the gentle nature of the gorilla and disproved the myth that gorillas are mean, fearful creatures. "Although Binti's maternal instinct might lead her to pick up the child, her intelligence was demonstrated when she moved the child to the human access door," said Patterson. Patterson says this nurturing and helping behavior is not uncommon amongst female gorillas. "Koko once held a baby that belonged to a volunteer here at The Foundation. Koko's reaction to the baby was very gentle. Gentle like a mother would be with her own child," Patterson said. Approximately ten years ago, a similar incident occurred at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust, when a child fell into the gorilla exhibit. "This time it was Jambo, a male gorilla, who became the hero," Patterson said. "Jambo, rather than picking the child up from the ground, stood above the child and guarded him until zoo officials arrived at the scene. This guarding behavior is continually seen amongst male gorillas." The helping behavior of these gorillas is "not unusual in our experience," Patterson added. "There was one day when Koko's kitten somehow managed to get into Michael's trailer," Patterson said, referring to the male silverback at The Gorilla Foundation. "Michael's response to the kitten was to guard it by encircling it in his arms. He didn't want to cradle it like Koko." Related web sites: Animal Hero - Binti Jua The Brookfield Zoo |
||
|
|
|||