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[Carrie McLaren <carrie AT stayfreemagazine.org>]

Remaking zoo's bachelor

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/10603251.htm
Sun, Jan. 09, 2005

The ladies are lonely at Gorilla World, so San Francisco Zoo 
officials have brought back O.J. the Bachelor Gorilla.

The announcement carried so many brow-arching possibilities that IA 
nearly went cross-eyed.

``It's a sore subject,'' said zoo spokeswoman Nancy Chan, 
acknowledging people often wonder: ``Why would you name a gorilla 
after someone notorious like that?''

Actually, O.J. is not named after the football star suspected -- and 
acquitted -- of killing his ex-wife and her friend. He's named after 
his parents, Oscar and Jonesy II. But that may change.

It's common to change an animal's moniker after it arrives at a new 
zoo, Chan said. O.J. was called Rich during his recent stay at the 
Buffalo Zoo -- after Rich Products, which sponsored him.

Now that he's back at San Francisco -- where he lived from 1982 to 
1987 -- officials may change his name again, perhaps letting a 
longtime donor choose his new name, Chan said.

A bit confusing, perhaps, but there are perks in store for O.J., who 
moved out of quarantine and into one of Gorilla World's barred rooms 
on Wednesday. Since Kubi, the zoo's silverback, has died, O.J. is 
going to be the dominant male gorilla -- which means the 23-year-old 
virgin finally gets to mate.

``When the females see him,'' Chan predicted, ``they won't ask him 
what his name is.''