Animals in New York: Gorillas at Bronx Zoo

Bronx, NYC; June 2010

Even a baby gorilla somehow manages to look like a wise old man. It’s like they’re 100 years old when they’re born. Would you just look at their faces? Adorable!

I am not as lucky as Kristin from Camels and Chocolate who got to go see wild gorillas in Rwanda all in the name of work. But I did make a pilgrimage to the Congo Gorilla Forest at the Bronx Zoo when I went to New York City recently. (And I ticked off the Bronx in my mission to visit all five NYC boroughs at the same time).

It cost $3 extra (the website says $5 so maybe prices have gone up) on top of my general admission ticket but was worth every penny, especially since the money goes to fund conservation projects in Africa. They’ve done a really nice job recreating a natural rainforest and you can see other animals such as monkeys while you’re there. There is some good information on conservation with an eight-minute movie and interactive exhibits and you can choose how the Wildlife Conservation Society will spend your ticket money, from options such as scientific research or helping create local employment.

I loved looking at the expressions on their faces – and at the little gorilla following its mother around and repeatedly trying to climb on her back. She wasn’t having a bar of it! The volunteer guide told me the mother was 30 and the baby was four – and a bit too big to be carried. Just like a human toddler then.

On the other hand, the human kids seemed most interested in the gorilla that did a number two right near the glass. Such is life!

If you want to donate, you can also consider organisations such as the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund or the World Wildlife Fund.

This is my contribution to Photo Friday on Delicious Baby. Please check out the other entries this week.