The first gorilla born at London Zoo, now approaching her 37th birthday. It does make me wonder about the way that her erstwhile companion "Zaire" has been so completely written off.
I can never see one, without thinking of the other- two similar-aged females experiencing very similar early lives, but very different outcomes in later life. Despite the rubbish they always say about Zaire being 'too old to breed'- she still isn't- though so long has passed now, its very unlikely.
If Zaire had gone to Bristol with Jock, she might still have been breeding too- those two were definately compatable, she was the only female at ZSL that was with him. Instead they hung on to her so she has become 'the old lady' in the subsequent group(s). Now of course the latest male 'Kumbuka' is her grandson also.
