Post by jeanne on May 25, 2017 15:45:51 GMT 1
Imagine my surprise when I saw this news story about Bonobo!!
Bonobo throws concrete block toward family at Florida zoo
BLAIR SHIFF,Good Morning America 17 hours ago
A bonobo threw a portion of a concrete block toward a family visiting the Jacksonville Zoo in Florida on Monday, according to zoo officials.
No one was injured, the zoo told ABC News, and this is the first time something like this has happened.
Diane Steen was visiting the zoo with her family and a friend when the incident unfolded.
In a video taken by Steen's friend, you can hear one of them exclaim, "Oh, don't you throw that brick!"
Steen's friend, who wants to remain anonymous, told ABC-affiliate WTLV she hid behind a rail and tried to protect her 2-year-old son from the bonobo.
JJ Vitale, a public relations manager for the Jacksonville Zoo, told ABC News that the bonobo, named Jumanji, may have dug up the brick from somewhere in the exhibit or found it in the moat surrounding the enclosure.
The exhibit is wide open and a glass partition does not separate zoo guests from the bonobo.
It is unknown at this time why Jumanji threw the brick at the onlookers, but zoo officials said bonobos' inquisitive nature may be a contributing factor. Bonobos, which a part of the ape family, are known in the animal world as lovers and not fighters.
"Bonobos are extremely affectionate; they settle their differences differently, which gets a lot of attention in the zoo world," Jacksonville Zoo executive director Tony Vecchio told WTLV. "They are close relatives of ours, they are highly intelligent. With that comes a strong personality."
Zoo officials told WTLV bonobos are "sexual creatures," which makes them a little feisty at times.
The Jacksonville Zoo will break ground in June on a new exhibit for the apes that will include a barrier between visitors and the animals.
Bonobo throws concrete block toward family at Florida zoo
BLAIR SHIFF,Good Morning America 17 hours ago
A bonobo threw a portion of a concrete block toward a family visiting the Jacksonville Zoo in Florida on Monday, according to zoo officials.
No one was injured, the zoo told ABC News, and this is the first time something like this has happened.
Diane Steen was visiting the zoo with her family and a friend when the incident unfolded.
In a video taken by Steen's friend, you can hear one of them exclaim, "Oh, don't you throw that brick!"
Steen's friend, who wants to remain anonymous, told ABC-affiliate WTLV she hid behind a rail and tried to protect her 2-year-old son from the bonobo.
JJ Vitale, a public relations manager for the Jacksonville Zoo, told ABC News that the bonobo, named Jumanji, may have dug up the brick from somewhere in the exhibit or found it in the moat surrounding the enclosure.
The exhibit is wide open and a glass partition does not separate zoo guests from the bonobo.
It is unknown at this time why Jumanji threw the brick at the onlookers, but zoo officials said bonobos' inquisitive nature may be a contributing factor. Bonobos, which a part of the ape family, are known in the animal world as lovers and not fighters.
"Bonobos are extremely affectionate; they settle their differences differently, which gets a lot of attention in the zoo world," Jacksonville Zoo executive director Tony Vecchio told WTLV. "They are close relatives of ours, they are highly intelligent. With that comes a strong personality."
Zoo officials told WTLV bonobos are "sexual creatures," which makes them a little feisty at times.
The Jacksonville Zoo will break ground in June on a new exhibit for the apes that will include a barrier between visitors and the animals.
