A day at the zoo brings to mind many images of visits when I was a child. Buying bags of peanuts to feed the animals; crying at the sight of reptiles, and ducking the spray from the whales. Years have passed since I visited a zoo, choosing not to view animals in captivity.

The progress of mankind and the inevitable destruction of the world's natural ecosystems, has meant that in the foreseeable future, it will only be possible to view our wonderful wildlife in captivity. That being said, with progress, comes education. The knowledge we now have of the natural habitats of our animals, means that we are now able to house them in environments perhaps even more hospitable than those they would experience in the wild.

Founded in 1862, the Melbourne Zoo puts its emphasis on education, research and conservation, by participating in a gorilla breeding program. The success of their Western Lowland Gorilla program is one that has given them immense satisfaction. The fact that these gorillas are on the endangered species list is only a small part of this feeling of satisfaction - knowing that they have played some small part in the successful birth of three new gorillas in the last two years, is a feat of enormous proportions. Having the opportunity to photograph the gorillas, I went down to the gorilla enclosure to see the newborns.

Having a healthy respect for the power of these beautiful creatures, I cautiously entered the nursery, not wanting to startle the infants. My hesitation was immediately lost when all three gorilla babies greeted me, not with trepidation, but rather with curious and inquisitive eyes.

My camera seemed to take on a life of it's own. As I was focusing in for a closeup on the eldest baby Yakini, I neglected to notice Ganyeka (Yakini's younger brother) slowly approaching me. In a gesture of greeting, he proceeded to wrap his arms around my leg. I will never forget the innocence with which he peered up at me. For an excessive amount of time, I watched the baby gorillas with a sense of both amazement and wonder that an animal could be so human. They walked about the nursery, picking up pieces of food, and smelling it with a look of distain.

Finally, I sat on the ground for a closer look. Yakini, being the eldest and hence the most courageous, waddles over to me. I slowly extend my hand, palm raised and fingers extended. He curiously approaches my hand, smells and tastes my fingers, and then gentles grasps them with his tiny little hands. I notice how incredibly soft the cushions of his fingers are. He eyes me curiously as I play with his basketball, envious that I have taken over his toy. The two young diapered gorillas, Ganyeka and Jumatano, cling to the zookeeper, Heidi, and only stare at me with amazement.

Eventually, it is with reluctance that I say goodbye to my newfound friends. I gather my now seemingly useless possessions as Yakini approaches me. I looked into his eyes feeling that he was trying to communicate with me. As I lowered my face close to his, he gently kissed the top of my head. The sweetest kiss from the sweetest and most innocent of friends. I gaze into his angelic eyes and am saddened by my imminent departure; yet thrilled to have had the experience.

I walk about the zoo admiring the wealth of flora and fauna. I watch as the giraffes stretch to reach the leaves perched atop a tree and the wombats slowly making their way through hollowed logs. Finally I see the koala bears, the most treasured of the Australian animals. Despite their soft and cuddly nature, my thoughts are now with Yakini.

A memorable day, a memorable kiss, a longing for the world to be as it should. Wild.

About the photos:
Top: A contemplative gorilla.
Bottom: Ganyeka and Jumatano with Heidi, the zookeeper.

Previous Page