Kera and keeper

Gorilla Island, Bristol, 28th May 2009

A fault with the hot-wiring meant that the gorillas were kept inside after mid-morning. After the repairs were completed two keepers brought this young gorilla outside. I guess they were getting Kera accustomed to the island.

Aw she's massive! Are there any new climbing frames on the island? I went a month or so ago and the gorillas were inside, the keepers had opened the gate and there was a pile of telegraph poles outside the zoo.

Lovely shot When I visited Bristol at Easter, I couldn't really see Kera that well as she was indoors keeping her distance from the others.

ashley-h said:

Aw she's massive! Are there any new climbing frames on the island? I went a month or so ago and the gorillas were inside, the keepers had opened the gate and there was a pile of telegraph poles outside the zoo.

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She is a big girl, but she was staying close to the keepers and was being carried piggyback style.
I think that the telegraph poles are being used to make the new aerial rope track round the zoo, which is the next attraction for children.

Alan

You're right Alan, the poles were for "Zooropia" which is quickly being erected at the zoo. There is a new hot air balloon basket on the island but I personally haven't seen the gorillas around it...but I'm not looking that way too often!

I saw that being built, looks like it might be interesting, seems as though it'll offer a brilliant view of the Gorillas!
Kate, do you know what's going on with them? Today Jock was in one half of the house with one of the adult females (Salome I think), there were gaps in the doors allowing the youngsters through, but I only saw Namoki using them; There was no sign of Kera, the other adult female or Komale. They were also locked indoors, I just wondered if you knew why they were split up?

No, don't know specifics but I imagine they'rs still in the process of mixing them all to be together all the time. They're split for feeding etc too so could have been that or another part of the daily management but I don't work wth them so not sure. Tobybzg on here is one of their keepers so he's the one to ask. Kate

Ok, thanks for that, I guessed it might have something to do with that. I just found it odd that the adult females had been split up too.

ashley-h said:

Today Jock was in one half of the house with one of the adult females (Salome I think), there were gaps in the doors allowing the youngsters through, but I only saw Namoki using them; There was no sign of Kera, the other adult female or Komale.

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I think the adult female you saw was Romina, not Salome- Which would explain also why you saw Namoki but not Komale.. Salome keeps well away from Jock (apart from oestrus phases) and I've never seen her use the same half of the indoors as Jock, whereas Romina is happy to be near him. Salome is often outside behind the wooden shelter. But if they were shut in she may have been in the offshow room or at the back on the high shelf in the other half of the exhibition cage.

Yeah that's possible. The over weight female was with Jock. Why does she stay away from him? Didn't he bite her foot really badly when they were introduced?