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Via CNN.com 
(http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/12/08/gorilla.wake.ap/index.html)

Gorillas hold 'wake' for group's leader

Gorillas last respects similar to human behavior
Wednesday, December 8, 2004 Posted: 10:34 AM EST (1534 GMT)


BROOKFIELD, Illinois (AP) -- After Babs the gorilla died at age 30, keepers 
at Brookfield Zoo decided to allow surviving gorillas to mourn the most 
influential female in their social family.

One by one Tuesday, the gorillas filed into the Tropic World building where 
Babs' body lay, arms outstretched. Curator Melinda Pruett Jones called it a 
"gorilla wake."

Babs' 9-year-old daughter, Bana, was the first to approach the body, followed 
by Babs' mother, Alpha, 43. Bana sat down, held Babs' hand and stroked her 
mother's stomach. Then she sat down and laid her head on Babs' arm.

"It was like they used to do in the exhibit, lying side by side on the 
mountain," keeper Betty Green said. "Then Bana rose up and looked at us and 
moved to Babs' other side, tucked her head under the other arm, and stroked 
Babs' stomach."

Other gorillas also approached Babs and gently sniffed the body. Only the 
silverback male leader, Ramar, 36, stayed away.

Keepers said the display wasn't surprising.

"She was the dominant female of the group, the peacekeeper, the 
disciplinarian, the one who kept things in a harmonious state," Pruett Jones 
said.

Koola, 9, brought her infant daughter, whom Babs had showered with attention 
since her birth in August.

"Koola inspected Babs' mouth for a while, then held her baby close to Babs, 
like she loved to do the last couple months, letting Babs admire her," Green 
said.

Babs had an incurable kidney condition and was euthanized Tuesday. Keepers 
had recently seen a videotape of a gorilla wake at the Columbus, Ohio, zoo 
and decided they would do the same for Babs. Gorillas in the wild have been 
known to pay respects to their dead, keepers said.

"I had a headache for the rest of the day after all the tears I cried 
watching them," Green said.



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