Gorillas at Ueno Zoo also dislike getting their hair wet when it rains

n

n n n n

n n

n n n n

n n

n n n n

n n

n n n n

n n n

Rain is bringing visitors to Ueno Zoo in Tokyo to watch gorillas acting like humans in avoiding the wet weather.

According to the zoo in Taito Ward, hemp sacks are placed in the enclosures for the seven gorillas so that they have something to play with or rest on.

But Toto, a primate estimated to be 40 years old, often uses the sacks to cover her head when it rains.

And recently, Komomo, a 9-year-old gorilla, started imitating Toto’s behavior.

Haoko, the male leader of the troop, usually walks majestically on all fours or escapes into the cave on two legs when it rains.

“They might dislike getting wet if they do not have such intentions,” zoo keeper Ryo Imanishi said about the animals from the humid rainforests of Africa.

The animals are not necessarily averse to water. Wild gorillas have been seen bathing in rivers during hot summers.

On the other hand, some of the gorillas at Ueno Zoo who are late returning to their rooms during rain jiggle their legs or give small yawns.

“These behaviors are evidence that gorillas can feel strong stress. If their hair gets wet and the temperature drops, it might affect their physical condition,” Imanishi said.

The Ueno Zoo gorillas are not the only ones that avoid the rain.

Kyoto City Zoo filmed a mother gorilla holding a baby and racing for shelter right after raindrops fell on her head.

Gorillas at the Chiba Zoological Park and the Japan Monkey Center in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, tend to stay in their caves or rooms to avoid the rain.

At Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina, four gorillas were seen returning to their sleeping areas by walking single file on two legs along a wall under the eaves when it rained.

n n