Fun in the hay

Came across this photo late last night, when I was searching for a photo to post in between my Northern Pygmy-owl photos.

On 14 October 2014, I finally visited the Calgary Zoo again, after about a year and a half of not getting over there. The Western Lowland Gorillas were in their outdoor enclosure, which makes it much easier to photograph them. I didn't spend long with them, though, as I wanted to see if there was any sign of the Eurasian Lynx this time. The Gorillas were scooping up armfuls of loose hay and putting them on top of their heads and having fun shaking off the hay. They also would place an armful on top of a large rock and then lie down on it. The IUCN status of Lowland Gorillas is "Critically Endangered".

"There’s always something fun going on in the Calgary Zoo’s gorilla exhibit. Smart, gentle and peaceful, our gorillas form part of a close-knit family, called a troop. Kakinga, a giant male silverback gorilla, leads the troop gently, but firmly and the youngsters’ boundless energy always guarantees a show as they play, swing, climb and forage for food.

Kakinga is a valuable member of the Gorilla Species Survival Plan not only because of his amiable personality, but also because his genetics have added valuable diversity to the North American population of gorillas.

Lowland Gorillas come from lowland tropical forests of Cameroon, Gabon and Congo, Africa. Western lowland gorillas live in dense and remote rainforests, preferring swampy areas with dense, leafy growth.

In the wild, populations of western lowland gorillas are under siege, having dropped more than 80 percent in just three generations. These gorillas face exceptionally high levels of hunting, disease and habitat loss.

Western lowland gorillas live in groups, called troops, with complex social structures. Troops are led by dominant, older adult males, called silverbacks because of the silver hair that marks the otherwise dark fur on their backs. Troops also include young males, several females and their offspring. Silverbacks are responsible for organizing their troop’s activities – eating, nesting and moving around their home range." From the Calgary Zoo website. Though a lot of the information is about Kakinga, the Gorilla in this image is one of the other members of the group.

www.calgaryzoo.com/animals/mammals/gorillas