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Bobby the gorilla, pictured last Wednesday |
Last picture of the love nest gorilla
Curled up in his London Zoo pad, Bobby rests his huge frame. One day later he was dead
HIS scowl looks distinctly irritable but it is impossible to tell from this picture alone – one of the last-ever taken of Bobby the big gorilla – whether his grimace was down to feeling unwell or just a bit tired at the end of the day.
Yet little more than 24 hours after this photo was taken by a New Journal reporter at closing time inside London Zoo last Wednesday, the silverback was found dead.
And – as a wreath was laid inside the zoo grounds in his honour yesterday and scores of fans paid tribute to his life in a book of condolences – Bobby’s distressed keepers still can’t properly explain why.
The most likely explanation is a heart condition, to which Western Lowland gorillas like Bobby have proved to be susceptible in the past, but post mortem results have not been released.
The zoo confirmed he was found motionless inside his nest early on Friday. Staff were in tears as the news spread. He was 25 but might have been expected to live for at least another decade, maybe two.
Tracey Lee, team leader, said: “His untimely death has left us all shocked and enormously upset. The last year of Bobby’s life was spent happily.
“We will remember him affectionately as our gentle giant, his hoots to his keepers and funny antics will always bring a tear to our eyes and a smile to our faces.”
Ms Lee was writing in the book of condolences, which has messages from around the world and emotional notes from parents whose children were starstruck by the muscular gorilla – weighing around 335 lbs (152 kilos).
Bobby had become the headline attraction after the zoo in Regent’s Park spent £5.3million last year creating Gorilla Kingdom, its biggest enclosure which was meant to serve as a love nest with three female companions: Mjukuu, 9, Effie, 15, and Zaire, 34.
The zoo has been waiting for a baby gorilla for 21 years. Bobby – or to use his formal name, Bongo Junior – was transferred from a zoo in Bristol in 2003.
At first, the chances of romance between the new enclosure-mates seemed pretty slim, but nervous exchanges were soon replaced by blossoming affection.
Bobby had particular fondness for Mjukuu. His other loves included leeks, bottles of herbal tea and that erstwhile gorilla favourite, bananas – although, like most of the primary school children who watched him through the glass walls, he turned his nose up at icky spinach.
“He would laze around on the island in the sunshine, arms behind his head, surrounded by his adoring girls,” said Ms Lee.
Coincidentally, arguments over whether Bobby should have been in a zoo at all had been discussed a week before his death when human rights activist Peter Tatchell wrote a national newspaper comment piece questioning whether Gorilla Kingdom could really recreate forest conditions accurately.
Many of the zoo’s enclosures are historic, architectural gems but money is being invested to give animals and birds as much room as possible.
Gorilla Kingdom was seen as a major step in that direction. One of Ms Lee’s colleagues said in Bobby’s book: “He was possibly the most good-natured and easy going Silverback ever.
“His part in making the [zoo’s] gorilla group what it is now shouldn’t be underestimated. He did a great job. He’s set things up nicely for whoever follows in his footsteps.” |
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