The Gorilla Stud
“This is the satisfied look of a gorilla who is a hit with the female of the species. Oumbie, a 28st silverback, arrived at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire on September 2 with the task of producing offspring. He has successfully wooed two lady gorillas and one may be pregnant already. At his previous home, Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent, the 17-year-old great ape was kept in an all-male group. But it seems life in mixed company suits him. Oumbie created quite an impression when he crawled out of his crate at his new home, according to animal keeper Donna Smithson. She said the females gave him ‘a bit of a hard time to start with’, but he soon won them over. ‘Gorillas make flirty noises and strut about to try to impress each other,’ she said. ‘Oumbie has shown himself to be pretty good at that type of thing already.” w/ photos
