Posted on 11/29/2004 2:12:46 AM PST by Bandaneira
Birthday boy goes off his rocker
29nov04
IT was like any other fifth birthday party on a Sunday afternoon.
The birthday boy scoffed his sweets - then got into a blue with his brother over toys. Melbourne Zoo star attraction Yakini turned five yesterday and the young western lowland gorilla received a plastic rocker to mark the occasion.
But he wasn't about to share it with his brother, Ganyeka.
It took a bit of gorilla warfare to sort it out, but Yakini was soon happily playing solo with his new toy.
With his family looking on, including his 190kg dad Motaba, he also feasted on strawberries. But he missed out on a birthday cake because some of his siblings are allergic to the ingredients.
Yakini, named in a Herald Sun reader competition, won the public's affection after a rocky start to life.
The gorilla wasn't breathing and his heart was barely beating when he was born by caesarean section.
But the skilled hands of human neo-natal specialists saved his life and now he spends his days with the zoo's gorilla group in their rainforest enclosure.
Now about 40kg, Yakini is a quarter of the way to reaching his ideal adult weight.
This monkey arguing and fighting over his new toy with his brother is an excellent metaphor for the current state of world "leadership".
If any kind Freeper knows how to post the photo from the Herald Sun website that would be appreciated. My graphic design skills are on a par with Yakini's.
Thanks very much. Cheers !
Glad to help, mate.
What's the world coming to when even gorillas must be PC with their birthday cakes, as if he couldn't have his cake and eat it too away from his whiny siblings. Mine once went to a party where the mother showed everyone the cake but immediately put it away. Still don't understand that. Birthday Rule #1 - if one shows a group of kids a cake, one must give them a piece.
My daughter spent her 7th birthday in the hospital recovering from an emergency appendectomy - we found an inflatable birthday cake. I still have it somewhere in the attic. Poor little thing couldn't eat cake or any solid food. She did get a new bicycle which we wheeled into the room.
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