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A British wildlife center is getting international attention thanks to an ape with a unusual gait.
Ambam, a silverback western lowland gorilla at The Aspinall Foundation's Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent, southeast England, walks upright -- like a person.
All gorillas can do it to some extent, gorilla keeper Phil Ridges said in a news release. But we haven't got any who do it like Ambam, and he is quite a celebrity at the park.
Thanks to a viral video, Ambam's silverback strut has made him into quite a celebrity around the world as well. A short clip of his stride has gotten more than 300,000 hits.
It's about as striking as the old silly walks bit from Monty Python -- and so strange that some commenters on YouTube believe it's a fake.
But the foundation says there's no monkey business here, because Ambam isn't the only one with an upright stride.
In fact, it's a family affair.
Ambam's father Bitam used to display the same behavior if he had handfuls of food to carry, Ridges said. Ambam also has a full sister, Tamba, and a half sister ... who also sometimes stand and walk in the same way.
The 21-year-old bachelor is the largest gorilla at Port Lympne at 485 pounds. Add the upright stance, and Ambam is even more imposing.
We think he might use it to get a height advantage to look over the wall when keepers come to feed him, Ridges said. Ambam can also carry a lot more food if he stands and uses both hands, and walking on two feet also means he doesn't get his hands wet when it is raining.
Link including video: http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/27/gorilla-walks-upright-like-a-man/
Ambam, a silverback western lowland gorilla at The Aspinall Foundation's Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent, southeast England, walks upright -- like a person.
All gorillas can do it to some extent, gorilla keeper Phil Ridges said in a news release. But we haven't got any who do it like Ambam, and he is quite a celebrity at the park.
Thanks to a viral video, Ambam's silverback strut has made him into quite a celebrity around the world as well. A short clip of his stride has gotten more than 300,000 hits.
It's about as striking as the old silly walks bit from Monty Python -- and so strange that some commenters on YouTube believe it's a fake.
But the foundation says there's no monkey business here, because Ambam isn't the only one with an upright stride.
In fact, it's a family affair.
Ambam's father Bitam used to display the same behavior if he had handfuls of food to carry, Ridges said. Ambam also has a full sister, Tamba, and a half sister ... who also sometimes stand and walk in the same way.
The 21-year-old bachelor is the largest gorilla at Port Lympne at 485 pounds. Add the upright stance, and Ambam is even more imposing.
We think he might use it to get a height advantage to look over the wall when keepers come to feed him, Ridges said. Ambam can also carry a lot more food if he stands and uses both hands, and walking on two feet also means he doesn't get his hands wet when it is raining.
Link including video: http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/27/gorilla-walks-upright-like-a-man/
