Durrell News

A cracking good time for the gorillas

25^th December 2008

Durrell's Conservation Education Department has been hard at work creating a special festive treat this Christmas for the Trust's group of five western lowland gorillas.

Packed full of honey, organic fruit and nuts, the large colourful Christmas crackers added some brightness to their day here at Durrell's headquarters in Jersey.

Despite the fact they were all given a cracker, the male silverback, Ya Kwanza, made sure the females knew who was boss when he grabbed two for himself. However, he wasn't the only one, as 20 year old Kahilli stole an extra one before running off to a quiet corner.

Education assistant, Sarah Nugent, created the special treats herself using silent willow 'snap', straw and fruit wrapped in recycled paper, sealed with flour and water: "It's really important not to give the gorillas food they wouldn't normally eat, but it seemed like a fun way to give them their enrichment for Christmas and they certainly seemed to enjoy it."

To keep things fair, Sarah had to make two more emergency crackers so that all the females were able to enjoy something special this season.

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