They were making faces. From behind the glass doors she could see them laughing at her as she tried to find cover in the awning with her youngest on her hip. The weather in North Carolina was sure getting funny. Unseasonal rain. In this cold summer day it was the last thing they needed.
The people on the other side of the glass were families and groups of children would come to see them. Her. Flora and family. Her brood. A brood she gave birth too now that her partner Jack was dead. He died escaping. He managed to get just a little away till a guard shot him.
Flora was concerned that her youngest should not catch a cold. If she did, they would take Baby away from her. Just like they did with Amy. She never returned.
The rain grew slowly and ignoring the crowds indoors behind the glass wall, Flora kept Baby on her hip and sat down under the meager protection that a small overhead ledge offered against the rain. Chewing a blade of grass she looked out across her pen. Born and brought up in this pen that she inherited from her mother, Flora had become inured to human visits and inspection. The only time they took her out was when she was very young. They had taken her away from her mother to appear on a TV show for children. She was introduced as a silverback gorilla from central africa. She wondered what Africa would be like. She had never been there. Her mother like her grandmother had been born in captivity. They spoke rarely but it was clear that Flora had always been resigned to her fate of captivity and performance. Her only channel of education after her mother passed away was a small tv screen that she would catch reflection of sometimes.
She sat still for hours trying to make sense of what she saw in it. In it she saw A world where there were many like her.
Roaming free with many trees. So many that there was no end to it. Africa.
She had started watching these things just to avoid looking at the humans and the stupid faces some made looking at her. They also made sounds like macaws or stupid monkeys. Maybe the monkeys were teaching them their language.
But the more she watched the screen the more she grew aware of her captive status. The more she was aware, the more she resented it. And didn't want to have such a life for her young.
But she learnt. The rain was getting heavy and most of her troop was getting very antsy. Gingerly moving about under whatever protection was available. The humans somehow found it funny and they started doing what they do in such
Situations. Laughing and looking at each other as if to see if the other is seeing the same thing or not. Some clapping. Children screeching with joy. Why don't they clap and laugh when humans run for shelter in the rain? Why should we be so funny? With these thoughts she rose and saw that the doors of their den had finally been opened and she took Baby and went inside. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
In the dark dank cave water had already found its way. But it was just a trickle. Yet.
A scream and then another and then many more. From the viewing gallery. fearing the worst Flora went out only hoping that the juveniles had not got into a serious fight. She came out slowly, cautiously. The mobile cameras that are in any case out and working in this enclosure were all pointed at a spot in the pen. Still she couldn't see what caused the commotion. Humans sure had small hands. If they were to make mobile phones for gorillas, they would be much bigger, like a tablet maybe. But the few that dropped in the pen scared her as she was not used to seeing her reflection.
Ah there it is. Immediately, Flora sensed that this could be deadly situation. A human baby had fallen in the pen. Her first thought was of Baby. She looked at the opening of the den. No one. But she knew what she had to do. She slowly went up to the infant and kept her distance. Back to it in fact. Looking out for the juveniles. The moment they came she gnarled at them so hard that they jumped scared. The eldest wasn't having any of it and gnarled right back. This could get deadly any moment. Flora kept ignoring the infant and focused on getting the males inside the den.
She had to fight and growl and do all the things males do. Finally, she got them inside. There's nothing stronger than curiosity in a gorilla. And with such behaviour, Hector the dominant male didn't like it at all. Inside the den, he launched into the juveniles. They didn't know if he was angry for their curiosity to see the human child or anger that they listened to Flora and meekly walked in. Must have been the latter as he stepped up to go himself. Flora knew better than to come in his way. She did however yell a warning. Royally ignored. Nobody ignores you like a giant male silverback gorilla.
Two juveniles wanted to follow him but she stood in between. She could take them on easy. And she was saving lives. Theirs. The door of the den shut and all she could do inside was listen.
The roar of Hector.
The guns going off.
The humans screaming.
The dying screams of Hector.
It was all over in a flash.
Silence.
Then a massive cheer.
The humans must have recovered the infant.
Flora sat quietly long after the doors were re-opened. Hector's body would not be there. There would be no knuckles of hers touching his chest in the final good bye. You live your life together and then leave like that. Maybe this was the human way.
She clutched Baby tight and just wanted no other human to fall in her pen.
The people on the other side of the glass were families and groups of children would come to see them. Her. Flora and family. Her brood. A brood she gave birth too now that her partner Jack was dead. He died escaping. He managed to get just a little away till a guard shot him.
Flora was concerned that her youngest should not catch a cold. If she did, they would take Baby away from her. Just like they did with Amy. She never returned.
The rain grew slowly and ignoring the crowds indoors behind the glass wall, Flora kept Baby on her hip and sat down under the meager protection that a small overhead ledge offered against the rain. Chewing a blade of grass she looked out across her pen. Born and brought up in this pen that she inherited from her mother, Flora had become inured to human visits and inspection. The only time they took her out was when she was very young. They had taken her away from her mother to appear on a TV show for children. She was introduced as a silverback gorilla from central africa. She wondered what Africa would be like. She had never been there. Her mother like her grandmother had been born in captivity. They spoke rarely but it was clear that Flora had always been resigned to her fate of captivity and performance. Her only channel of education after her mother passed away was a small tv screen that she would catch reflection of sometimes.
She sat still for hours trying to make sense of what she saw in it. In it she saw A world where there were many like her.
Roaming free with many trees. So many that there was no end to it. Africa.
She had started watching these things just to avoid looking at the humans and the stupid faces some made looking at her. They also made sounds like macaws or stupid monkeys. Maybe the monkeys were teaching them their language.
But the more she watched the screen the more she grew aware of her captive status. The more she was aware, the more she resented it. And didn't want to have such a life for her young.
But she learnt. The rain was getting heavy and most of her troop was getting very antsy. Gingerly moving about under whatever protection was available. The humans somehow found it funny and they started doing what they do in such
Situations. Laughing and looking at each other as if to see if the other is seeing the same thing or not. Some clapping. Children screeching with joy. Why don't they clap and laugh when humans run for shelter in the rain? Why should we be so funny? With these thoughts she rose and saw that the doors of their den had finally been opened and she took Baby and went inside. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
In the dark dank cave water had already found its way. But it was just a trickle. Yet.
A scream and then another and then many more. From the viewing gallery. fearing the worst Flora went out only hoping that the juveniles had not got into a serious fight. She came out slowly, cautiously. The mobile cameras that are in any case out and working in this enclosure were all pointed at a spot in the pen. Still she couldn't see what caused the commotion. Humans sure had small hands. If they were to make mobile phones for gorillas, they would be much bigger, like a tablet maybe. But the few that dropped in the pen scared her as she was not used to seeing her reflection.
Ah there it is. Immediately, Flora sensed that this could be deadly situation. A human baby had fallen in the pen. Her first thought was of Baby. She looked at the opening of the den. No one. But she knew what she had to do. She slowly went up to the infant and kept her distance. Back to it in fact. Looking out for the juveniles. The moment they came she gnarled at them so hard that they jumped scared. The eldest wasn't having any of it and gnarled right back. This could get deadly any moment. Flora kept ignoring the infant and focused on getting the males inside the den.
She had to fight and growl and do all the things males do. Finally, she got them inside. There's nothing stronger than curiosity in a gorilla. And with such behaviour, Hector the dominant male didn't like it at all. Inside the den, he launched into the juveniles. They didn't know if he was angry for their curiosity to see the human child or anger that they listened to Flora and meekly walked in. Must have been the latter as he stepped up to go himself. Flora knew better than to come in his way. She did however yell a warning. Royally ignored. Nobody ignores you like a giant male silverback gorilla.
Two juveniles wanted to follow him but she stood in between. She could take them on easy. And she was saving lives. Theirs. The door of the den shut and all she could do inside was listen.
The roar of Hector.
The guns going off.
The humans screaming.
The dying screams of Hector.
It was all over in a flash.
Silence.
Then a massive cheer.
The humans must have recovered the infant.
Flora sat quietly long after the doors were re-opened. Hector's body would not be there. There would be no knuckles of hers touching his chest in the final good bye. You live your life together and then leave like that. Maybe this was the human way.
She clutched Baby tight and just wanted no other human to fall in her pen.
