TV star's baby handed to gorillas

BBC NEWS: ^ | 2003/11/10 | Unsigned

[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.

[TexasCajun]

Relatives of Jane Goodall maybe? ..what if momma gorilla doesn't want to give the baby back? Then what?

[Lucy Lake]

You have FReepmail!

[headsonpikes]

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.

[aculeus]

What's next? Hiring Kennedys as baby sitters?

[weegee]

Gorilla with "Baby":

[L.N. Smithee]

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?

[weegee]

Does mama gorilla breast feed?

[cmsgop]

Miss Air

http://dnausers.d-n-a.net/dnettCuM/don2.html

[Holly_P]

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.

[calljack]

Of course not, that would be dangerous.
Swimming lessons maybe.

[L.N. Smithee]

Yowza! I would like to babysit her!

[FixitGuy]

Donna Air-Head

[Ann Archy]

Darwin Menschausen by proxy in the making.

These idits would trust a gorilla before they would trust a Tory.

[L.N. Smithee]

Good god, that woman is hot. But her surname is obviously very descriptive of her head.

[hellinahandcart]

That girl needs a slip.

Or even just some underwear.

[Hilltop]

Damn monkeys have all the luck. Plenty of fresh fruit and......................

[Political Junkie Too]

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

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

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

[fishbabe]

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!!!!!

[onedoug]

Hitler worshipped nature too.