'Rilla Feeding!

Our own baby 'rilla with souvenir scraps from her trek into the jungle.

As if getting free zoo privileges isn't enough, Olive and I were treated to an extra special lunchtime experience today while visiting Rob on his break. We were taken behind the scenes today into the TFC (Tropical Forest Complex) where they house the primates' indoor enclosures. Rob cut up plums for the animals and we went from cage to cage, offering fruit chunks to the eager primates. First we came upon the orangutans, Ember and her 4 year-old, Jiwa, a sweet and spunky little guy who reminds us of Buggy. Jiwa was leery of me, a stranger, but his mother slowly approached and took the proffered plum in her appendage-like lips.

Ember and little Jiwa

We then visited the gorillas, most of whom gathered around us with interest. Ibo was her normal, social self, but today I got to spend a little more time getting to know Anju better. She's a sweetheart, and she and I traded back and forth a stalk of celery and played a stick game wherein she'd pass me a stick through the bars and I'd take it, scratch her with it, and she'd take it from me. Most of the gorillas seem to be fascinated with Olive, and are beginning to become familiar with me, too. Harry, the smaller silverback, Moka, who shies away from most everyone, including the gorillas, and Zakula, the 42 year-old mother of Anju and Mrithi, the dominant silverback, who harbors intense feelings of lustful ardor for Rob, are the ones who haven't really warmed to me, and I doubt they ever will. We also got to go back into what is known as "the jungle", the forest set behind the primates' enclosures where the public can view them. We hand-fed Johnny, the male mandrill, who was a tad aggressive, the white-faced sakis with their tiny, delicate hands gingerly plucking the treats from my fingers, and the howler monkeys, who preferred to take their plum chunks while upside-down.

Rob tickling Ibo's pot belly.
Getting to feed Mrithi, the mammoth silverback, was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
Sweet Anju, so appreciative of the treats she was getting.
Needless to say, being the wife of a budding zookeeper is pretty dope. I'm just counting my lucky stars I didn't wind up with a doctor or lawyer or some other white collar profession that doesn't involve cleaning ape cages. And I'm happy that Olive's getting these opportunities at such an early age. I think we're all in for a really exciting ride...