Wednesday, August 20, 2008

It's So Hard To Say Goodbye

A gorilla at a zoo in the German city of Muenster is refusing to let go of her dead baby's body several days after it died of unknown causes.

Allwetter Zoo spokeswoman Ilona Zuehlke says the 3-month-old male baby died on Saturday, but its 11-year-old mother continues to carry its body around.

Zuehlke says such behavior is not uncommon to gorillas. Zuehlke says the mother, named Gana, "is mourning and must say goodbye."

Signs were posted near Gana's enclosure Wednesday to explain the situation to visitors. A staff member is also present to answer questions.

The baby was named Claudio and was Gana's second baby. She had a female baby in 2007 that now lives at the Stuttgart Zoo.

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