Gorilla Refuses To Let Others Near, Then Staff Looked At His Hands
Welcome to the Mefou Primate Sanctuary in Cameroon, home of Bobo the ape. Out of the few hundred gorillas, chimpanzees, and monkeys at the sanctuary, Bobo was the most popular. One day, staff members noticed that he was acting very secretive. But they just couldn’t figure out what the primate was keeping from them. Then, when they finally got a glimpse at his hands, the mystery began to unravel. What was Bobo the gorilla trying to hide?
The difficulties of Bobo the ape
You don’t just go up to an ape and demand to see what’s in his hands – especially if he’s been hiding something from you on purpose. So, instead of approaching Bobo, the staff studied him from afar and observed his every move. When he began hiding in the tall grass, caretakers started to suspect something very unusual was going on.
At the Mefou Primate Sanctuary
Bobo arrived at the Mefou Primate Sanctuary when he was just two years old – orphaned after poachers snatched his mother from his clutches. Naturally, he wasn't too fond of humans at the time. As a baby, he would often hide away, refusing to let anybody come near. So, how would he respond now when humans were, once again, attempting to take something away from him?
Cream of the crop
After being hurt so deeply at such a young age, it was only natural for Bobo to seek control in his new environment. Soon, the 350-pound Bobo was the most dominant gorilla in the sanctuary. But his fellow primates weren’t always happy about how this had panned out...
The heavyweight champ
“Younger males Kibu and Nkamum once challenged Bobo for his position,” said one of the gorilla’s closest caretakers Elissa O’Sullivan. “[But] they were never successful and no longer attempt to take control.” And while Bobo’s fellow primates were also curious about what he had in his hands, they simply weren’t brave enough to try and take it away from him.
