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Gorillas go ape waiting for a girl
Three male gorillas at Ragunan Zoo, Kumbo, Kihi and Komum, live a more comfortable life in their modern enclosure than other animals at the zoo
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Three male gorillas at Ragunan Zoo, Kumbo, Kihi and Komum, live a more comfortable life in their modern enclosure than other animals at the zoo.
But that has not stopped them from getting antsy.
Even truckloads of sumptuous fruit and vegetableswhich have had them piling on the poundswere doing nothing to soothe their bad moods.
But a big, fat hairy solution is on the way - in the shape of a female mate to ease their loneliness, once the zoo has built an enclosure and the zookeepers are fully trained.
"We concluded it was time for them to mate because they have grown into young adults. They are still virgins," zoo spokesman Bambang Wahyudi told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
Howletts Wild Animal Park in the United Kingdom, where the three boys came from, has agreed to send a female in exchange for 12 Indonesian primates.
Ten have already been sent, with the other two to be flown over once the female gorilla arrives in town.
"We do not know her name or age yet. But she should be around seven to eight years old, the age of maturity for a female gorilla," Bambang said, adding it was not certain when the lovely lady would arrive.
The zoo is preparing a cage and enclosure for her arrival, he added.
But the deal between the two zoos was not without strict requirements. Ragunan Zoo must convince the British that it is capable of taking care of the gorilla and her future babies.
"They want the zoo to have at least one keeper with five years' experience. But our keepers have only up to three years' experience. To solve the problem, we sent three officers to the UK for three months of training," he said.
A veterinarian, a senior keeper and a database administrator flew to the United Kingdom in October. They are also there to bond with the gorilla to help make her transition to Ragunan easier.
The zoo plans to let her mate naturally with the boys, who are now on strict diets to overcome their weight issues.
Kumbo, who at 13 is the eldest and the most aggressive, will score the first date.
Bambang said caring for gorillas was expensive but worthwhile. Only selected zoos house the large primates because of strict requirements, including soil and vegetation specifications.
The three gorillas arrived at the zoo in 2002 and have been in the public spotlight ever since.
The city administration has allocated funds for their keep in the 2009 draft budget.
During a plenary session on the budget last week, the legislators addressed the need for a female gorilla.
"The construction of the gorilla enclosure needs to be followed by a commitment that the female gorilla will arrive as soon as possible," Bambang said.
