After-shocks of gorilla attack still felt

Tuesday 22 May 2007

The after-shocks of the gorilla Bokito’s attack on a frequent visitor to Blijdorp zoo in Rotterdam continue to be felt in the Dutch media, with more photos and videos of his break for freedom showing up online. The zoo authorities are due to announce what action they plan to take on Wednesday.

The Volkskrant quotes gorilla expert Frans de Waal who says Bokito’s victim is very luck to be alive. His action was a warning to visitors and zoo keepers.

‘Don’t try to attract attention, don’t try to provoke wild animals,’ he says. ‘A zoo is not some fun event with real interaction with preditors and primates.’

MPs from the animal rights party PvdD have been quick to seize the opportunity to call for a ban on keeping primates in zoos.

‘Zoos are not educational because you learn nothing from animals which are not kept in their natural environment,’ MP Esther Ouwehand told the Parool. ‘You’d be better off with a good documentary.’

Meanwhile, the Telegraaf reports that two fanclubs have already been set up for Bokito.

© DutchNews.nl

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