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TV star's baby handed to gorillas
BBC NEWS: ^
| 2003/11/10
| Unsigned
Posted on 11/10/2003 3:22:29 PM PST by aculeus
Television presenter Donna Air and her zoo-owner boyfriend Damian Aspinall intend to place their daughter in the care of a gorilla.
The couple plan to put Freya, who was born in September, in the gorilla enclosure at Howletts Zoo near Canterbury, Kent.
They will then let her be carried off by the female of the group.
Neither parent has any qualms about letting their daughter be taken off despite five keepers being killed by animals at Howletts and its sister park, Port Lympne, since 1980.
Mr Aspinall told the Evening Standard: "It is a ritual. I'll probably give her to the dominant female who will take her off and introduce her to the others."
The multi-millionaire said his two other daughters, Clary, 11, and Tansy, 14, had also been introduced to the gorillas at the zoo in the same way.
Both he and Miss Air approve of the plan and do not believe their daughter will be in any danger.
He said: "Why would I not trust them? I know them, I grew up with them. They are my friends."
Mr Aspinall took over running Howletts when his father, who encouraged close contact between animals and their keepers, died.
Since 1980 three keepers have been killed by tigers and two crushed to death by elephants at the two zoos.
But gorillas are known for their gentle treatment of babies and children.
Miss Air and Mr Aspinall have been together for more than two years and recently made a documentary together about releasing gorillas into the wild in Africa.
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: animalrightswackos; badparents; childendangerment; darwinaward; hollywood; leftwingnuts
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To: aculeus
Relatives of Jane Goodall maybe? ..what if momma gorilla doesn't want to give the baby back? Then what?
To: Holly_P
You have FReepmail!
To: At _War_With_Liberals
There is no way a gorilla mother is preferable to the human mother for any given period of time.In general, I'll bet you're right!
In this case, however, we may find our exception that tests the rule.
23
posted on
11/10/2003 3:36:46 PM PST
by
headsonpikes
(Spirit of '76 bttt!)
To: general_re; dighton
What's next? Hiring Kennedys as baby sitters?
24
posted on
11/10/2003 3:37:46 PM PST
by
aculeus
To: smith288
Gorilla with "Baby":
25
posted on
11/10/2003 3:39:37 PM PST
by
weegee
To: nuffsenuff
Unbelievable. Part of me can't help thinking that the kids would be better off being raised by those gorillas than by those morons who gave birth to them. You can bet your Midler that gorillas wouldn't be handing them any of their young. Who's smarter?
26
posted on
11/10/2003 3:40:38 PM PST
by
L.N. Smithee
(Just because I don't think like you doesn't mean I don't think for myself)
To: At _War_With_Liberals
Does mama gorilla breast feed?
27
posted on
11/10/2003 3:40:54 PM PST
by
weegee
To: aculeus
Miss Air
http://dnausers.d-n-a.net/dnettCuM/don2.html
28
posted on
11/10/2003 3:40:58 PM PST
by
cmsgop
( "Love For Sale",.."Yummy Appetizing Love For Sale")
To: grizzfan
You have FReepmail Thanks, thats a good one. I had a great bear cartoon on my hard drive forever and deleted it just before I started seeing the posts about feeding the bears.
29
posted on
11/10/2003 3:41:04 PM PST
by
Holly_P
To: aculeus
Of course not, that would be dangerous.
Swimming lessons maybe.
30
posted on
11/10/2003 3:41:05 PM PST
by
calljack
(Sometimes your worst nightmare is just a start.)
To: weegee
Yowza! I would like to babysit her!
31
posted on
11/10/2003 3:42:22 PM PST
by
L.N. Smithee
(Just because I don't think like you doesn't mean I don't think for myself)
To: aculeus
Donna Air-Head
32
posted on
11/10/2003 3:42:42 PM PST
by
FixitGuy
To: aculeus
Darwin Menschausen by proxy in the making.
These idits would trust a gorilla before they would trust a Tory.
To: cmsgop
34
posted on
11/10/2003 3:44:35 PM PST
by
L.N. Smithee
(Just because I don't think like you doesn't mean I don't think for myself)
To: weegee
That girl needs a slip.
Or even just some underwear.
To: weegee
Damn monkeys have all the luck. Plenty of fresh fruit and......................
36
posted on
11/10/2003 3:45:09 PM PST
by
Hilltop
To: facedown
Reminds me of that dope with the bears. That was my first thought, too. My second thought was the trip by Phil Bronstein and Sharon Stone into the Kimodo Dragon cage.
-PJ
To: cmsgop
Name: Naomi Campbell
Date of birth: May 22, 1970
Place of birth: Streatham, South London, England
Height: 5'9"
Nationality: British
Occupation: model, actress
Relationship: Damian Aspinall
38
posted on
11/10/2003 3:47:36 PM PST
by
Hillary's Lovely Legs
(I have a plan. I need a dead monkey, empty liquor bottles and a vacuum cleaner.)
To: facedown
yeah,and that idiot wrote a book and encouraged people to go up to the bears.....liberals ooze something and it sure ain't compassion!!!!!
39
posted on
11/10/2003 3:48:42 PM PST
by
fishbabe
To: hellinahandcart
Hitler worshipped nature too.
40
posted on
11/10/2003 3:52:07 PM PST
by
onedoug
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