"My" Gorillas (part 3)

The oldest male started out staying in the back of the exhibit and refusing to come to the front. Only once in awhile would I get a glimpse of him. The most interesting time was when he and his little brother were tussling and all I could see were arms and legs flailing as they tumbled.

Finally one day, I went in to the viewing area and there he was up against the window at the front. We started getting “acquainted. He was quite something. He taught me a very involved set of signals that I had to follow exactly before he would hit the glass and run to the other side. (He has seen his younger brother do this with me but no hand signals to speak of.) If I messed up the hand signals, he would get up and walk to the back of the exhibit.

Sometimes, if I would put my hand high up on the glass and nod my head he would come down. There were days he made that into a game and would sit back there for the longest time before he would come up.

If he was in the front of the exhibit in “his” corner, we could sit there for a very long time. If someone would get between us, he would get up and walk away. And, yet at other times he did not care if I was there or not and would interact with everyone.

Added July 29, 2009

Yesterday, I found out this much loved animal died on January 6, 2009. I am in shock and mourning a very special animal. I no longer live where I can get to this group so I mourn alone, except for special friends here who allow me to talk about him as I get past this.