Posted on 01/28/2011 7:03:37 PM PST by PJ-Comix
A gorilla has achieved fame for walking upright on his hind legs like a human at a British animal park.
Ambam, a Western lowland gorilla, was filmed strolling about his enclosure by animal researcher Johanna Watson.
She posted the clip on YouTube, where it has been viewed by more than 250,000 people.
Ambam, a 21-year-old silverback, is part of a bachelor group of the critically endangered animals at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, which is run by an international conservation charity, The Aspinall Foundation.
Gorilla that walks like a man Gorilla keeper Phil Ridges said Ambam, who now weighs 485 pounds, had been hand-reared at another animal park when he was a one-year-old for several months because he was ill.
Family trait?
He said the human-like walking style seemed to run in the family.
"Ambam's father Bitam used to display the same behavior if he had handfuls of food to carry," Ridges said in a statement. "Ambam also has a full sister, Tamba, and a half sister ... who also sometimes stand and walk in the same way."
Look ma, no hands! Gorilla walks on hind legs Ridges added that Ambam could also carry more food if his hands were freed from walking and it also meant "he doesn't get his hands wet when it is raining."
The Aspinall Foundation runs gorilla rescue and rehabilitation projects in Congo and Gabon.
Something seems amiss with his hips. He does not move side to side like most apes when he walks.
DUer??
Obama is the one that walks on all fours around world leaders
Wonder if they got any video of a black rectangular obelisk in the vicinity.......just saying.
"We're descended from apes".
No, we’re not descended from apes. We did share a common ancestor, though.
Yes, of course. But, something is not right. Perhaps a defect in this ape’s hips? I would love to see an xray of the pelvis. There is a reason they don’t stand or walk like this, and it’s not just that they don’t want to.
watch later
We have all the notions...
A little more practice and he will make a great democrat.
Maybe Ambam has been practicing yoga.
Well sure, they can all stand up, and they can walk upright, more or less, but not like this. I know it’s not, but this looks like a guy in a gorilla suit. A gorilla’s hips are shaped differently than a humans, so they don’t walk or stand like that. I’m curious to hear what an anatomist would say. If it were simply a matter of him deciding this was something he wanted to do, they would have all done it, because it makes more sense to be able to walk and have their hands free, but they are not designed to walk like that.
That gorilla’s walking is highly reminiscent of the way that “bigfoot” walked in that famous short film from, what was it, 1967?
So, now we know, bigfoot is really a gorilla imitating humans.
I was thinking more of a offensive lineman or defensive lineman, not enough speed for a linebacker however.
Mimicking his keepers and audience, perhaps?
Perceived advantage, more attention?
Bears, dogs, even cats will do it for food.
I remember a book in which the pigs began walking upright...
Can he sign up in the NFL?
Reminds me of of Oliver the chimp. He could also walk on 2 feet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_%28chimpanzee%29
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