Sad but 'Bongo' was a good age. She was the 4th oldest female in the UK, after the three eldest females at Howletts, and would have been born in 1965 probably, the same year she arrived at the Zoo as she was a very young baby on her arrival.
With 'Joe' she was one of Twycross & Molly Badham's first pair of Gorillas -though I think they may have arrived a few months apart. So, like Joe, Bongo was one of the best known and original animals at the Zoo.
In its infancy I believe Twycross had a tea room/snack bar situated near to Norton Grange, One morning the member of staff who ran it was behind the counter getting things ready for opening when there was a rattle at the doors, which were locked until opening time, without looking up to see who was trying to get in the tea bar man informed the potential customer that he did not open until 10 o' clock, the rattling at the door however persisted,"I told you, I do not open until 10 o'clock repeated the tea bar man, rattle, rattle again at the doors, he looked up and to his astonishment it wasn't an impatient customer at the door, it was Bongo trying to get in, the great lady herself was informed and she was later taken back to her quarters, lead hand in hand I was told, it was a pleasure visiting Bongo and also her fellow co star Joe, just a pity that they never got it together and had babies of their own.