

As well as being a joyous occasion for zoo staff and visitors, the birth is an important part of conservation efforts to save the species, as the number of Western lowland gorillas in the wild has dramatically declined by more than 60% in the last 20-25 years, and scientists predict they will become extinct in the next 20 years or so. Shufai was born on Septemand is the third baby for 22-year-old mother Ozala and 24-year-old father Oumbi. In an effort to stop dad from removing all of his toys, Shufai tries to grab dad by the foot, but the elder puts him back in his place with a determined, but still very gentle nudge with the foot.īody language is a big deal with these giants and the baby knew that very instant that playtime is over! Instead of chasing after dad, the baby sits on his butt and contemplates his choices, before turning away and running after mom Ozala. Shufai’s older brother Lope knows well to stay away from dad’s path, but the gorilla youngster wants his toys back. The kid runs after his dad, while the 24-year-old Silverback gorilla gather all the branches from the enclosure and puts them away.

But when Shufai persists, Oumbi does a total dad move to let him know he's serious! Shufai the baby gorilla was having a great time playing with some tree branches in Twycross ZOO until his father Oumbi decided to take them all away (since technically he's playing with his food). This video just shows us that some things are just bound to stay the same. Zoos make us see the animals for what they are when they are surrounded by their tight knit group, we won’t experience the violence and the need for lashing out and hunting, we would only see them in their roles as parents, brothers, sisters, friends and we would realize how similar to us they are. You may never get to see Africa in person, but if you visit the zoo, you might just see a handful of the animals that would normally roam the earth over there. Zoos are great places to encounter wild animals that you might not have seen otherwise in your day to day life. Aside from making sure they remain healthy and adapt to the life in captivity, you get to learn all about their quirks and realize that they might be animals, but they each have their own character, and it’s absolutely amazing. Being a zoo caretaker lets you get to know these beautiful souls a little bit better and create a tight bond, even become friends. Working in a zoo can be quite dangerous at times, but it pales in comparison to the times it’s made you feel elated to even know these amazing creatures.
