Bobo, the giant gorilla, was one of the most friendly gorillas in his sanctuary until one day he started acting strangely. He started behaving suspiciously and seemed emotionally detached from others. These changes started at almost the same time Bobo started hiding a secret item in his paws.
The caregivers, who were understandably worried, believed that finding out the item Bobo was hiding could be the key to figuring out what was wrong with him. To achieve that they had carried out detailed surveillance of the ape - but from a safe distance. Everyone was utterly amazed, to say the least when they finally found out what he was doing.
The caregivers, who were understandably worried, believed that finding out the item Bobo was hiding could be the key to figuring out what was wrong with him. To achieve that they had carried out detailed surveillance of the ape - but from a safe distance. Everyone was utterly amazed, to say the least when they finally found out what he was doing.
Meet Bobo the Gorilla!
Bobo is an African male gorilla, one of the many in Mefou Primate Sanctuary located in the West African nation of Cameroon. Bobo was orphaned when poachers attacked and killed his mother when he was only two years old. This incident hurt him psychologically and made him less sociable in the first few months after he arrived at the sanctuary.
But now Bobo has fully grown into an adult ape and has risen through the ranks to become the most dominant ape around. Now he was the kind of ape that poachers should be scared of.
Not an Angry Gorilla
Unlike most of his peers, this 350-pound gorilla was a darling. He was not as aggressive as others and did not give the caregivers a hard time.
With time, Bobo did not only earn the other ape's respect but also the crown. To do so, as he had to put a good fight with the alpha ape at some time and he won't vacate the throne without a good fight either. That's just how animal politics work.
Monopoly
"Younger males Kibu and Nkamum once challenged Bobo for his position. They were never successful and no longer attempt to take control," says Elissa one of Bobo's favorite caregivers since his first day at the sanctuary.
But Bobo had started displaying behavior that wasn't consistent with his position as the alpha ape in the sanctuary. What was going wrong?
Something Smells Fishy
The Mefou Primate Sanctuary in Cameroon is run by the UK-based charity Ape Action Africa. Their mission encompasses refuging endangered apes among other things. This is highlighted by Mefou Sanctuary in housing 300 gorillas, monkeys, and chimpanzees.
After noticing abrupt changes in Bobos' behavior, Elissa knew she had to be on red alert and watch the big ape closely making sure he wasn't posing a threat to himself, other apes, and the caregivers.
A Suspicious Change in Behavior
This previously happy, gregarious, sociable ape was suddenly behaving strangely. He was detached, avoided the company of other apes, and kept lurking and hiding under overgrown foliage.
At first, Elissa was puzzled, unable to quite put a finger around the reason the big ape was hiding. But with time, it became clear to her, that Bobo wasn't just hiding but rather he was hiding something in the foliage. Something he didn't want the staff and apes to know of.
A Dire Diagnosis
With years of experience at the primate sanctuary, the staff acknowledges the apes under their care have typically experienced some sort of emotional trauma that brought them there. As such, they tailor their care of different apes accordingly.
Furthermore, when a primate of the size and political standing, like Bobo, is acting weird, it is best that they find out what is going on sooner than later.
Endangered
Poaching and deforestation are fairly commonplace in Cameroon. Both of which significantly affect the livelihood of primates. Consequently, Ape Action Africa established the Mefou Primate Sanctuary.
The caregivers had taken oaths to do everything possible to make sure these primates got the best care available and were protected from harm - and they meant it.
Bobo Was Under 24-Hour Surveillance
Mefou Primate Care specialized in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (amongst other specialties), which is quite handy as most animals that arrived there had suffered some sort of trauma.
Secretly monitoring the big ape closely wasn't going to be easy, but Elissa was determined and followed the ape around the enclosure. She was particularly curious to know what the primate was holding in its hand.
The Search Begins
After a while, it looked like the ape had dropped its secret item in a grassy area, so Elissa waited for Bobo to vacate the area, and when he finally did, Elissa headed to that spot in search of answers.
Elissa searched the whole area but didn't see anything strange. It was later that afternoon that she discovered that Bobo never hid the item but had carried it along with him all this time.
The Shocking Discovery
Bobo, the once-friendly ape, had changed drastically. He kept avoiding Elissa, which made it even harder for her to find out what the ape was hiding.
Eventually, she got close enough to see this secret item the ape was holding. She was shocked when she discovered that the ape wasn't just holding any item - it was a living thing!
A Little Creature Was Within His Grip
As soon as Bobo realized he was being watched he took off, as usual, and headed into the overgrown foliage. The group followed cautiously.
However, the living thing the big ape carried had started crying, but Elissa was too far off to identify the little creature in the ape's hand. She needed to come close enough to identify the little creature the ape was carrying. She needed a plan.
A Fellow Primate
At first, the animal looked like a rodent from afar. But the way the seeming rodent was comfortable in the gorilla's paws heightened Elissas' curiosity.
This was quite strange, considering that a rodent would be most likely attempt to escape an ape by then. Perhaps the rodent was wounded, she reasoned. Elissa used a pair of binoculars to try and identify the little animal, it was then that she discovered that the ape wasn't playing with a rodent.
Fatherly Love
For a sanctuary the size of Mefou, with a lot of apes under its care, one may consider it commonplace to lose track of one or more primates every once in a while. But that is not the narrative at Mefou, which is because their staff is keen on delivering the best individualized care to every primate in the enclosure.
That begs the question: Where did Bobo's little primate friend come from?
The Lost Traveller
The primate in question was a galago. The staff at Mefou concluded that the creature must have entered the sanctuary from the surrounding forest.
The galago is commonly known as a bushbaby because of the crying sound they make that mimics that of a human baby. The bushbaby wasn't the usual kind of primate the sanctuary looked after. Nonetheless, the big ape took care of the new primate like it was his own, but the staff wasn't willing to delegate that responsibility to Bobo.
The Courageous Little One
The little guy showed that he felt very comfortable around the giant ape. Elissa described their relationship by saying, The bushbaby showed no fear of Bobo, moving around his body and spending time hopping around in an open grassy area before choosing to return to Bobo.
The special care the galago was receiving from the giant ape wasn't the only thing that surprised Elissa, the very fact that she was looking at a galago was enough of a surprise already. That's because galagoes are very rare creatures.
Bush Babies, the Night Monkey
Elissa further explains that bushbabies are normally nocturnal, so it is rare to see these animals let alone witness such a unique ape-galago relationship.
Galagos mostly sleep during the day and hunt at night. That being said, you can understand Elissa better when she said that one of the most fascinating things she has seen is an ape breaking bread with a galago. What an extraordinary occurrence!
An Uncommon Friendship
Elisa continued, "Wild primates and rescued ones seldom interact with each other like this. They're either at a sanctuary or they're in the jungle. We have never witnessed a wild primate interacting with a rescued one."
The placement of Mefous sanctuary in a forest made the interaction of apes with other wildlings very rare. That's why this discovery was even more shocking.
The Newest Addition to the Sanctuary
"The little bushbaby was happy to play in Bobo's arms, hopping off to explore the grass nearby, before returning to Bobo's hand," Elissa explained.
Soon enough, the other apes in the group discovered what was preoccupying Bobo. The little wilding turned into a center of attraction for the other apes as they tried to get closer for a better look.
Keep Off!
"Understandably, this discovery led to a lot of commotion within that group of apes as they were curious to meet the new guy," Elissa said, Bobos' mates were desperately curious, but he kept them all at a distance, making sure no one disturbed his new friend.
Bobo, in an attempt to help his new friend escape this disturbance from others, tried to help the bushbaby return to his natural habitat by lifting him up to a branch above the sanctuary. A member of the staff captured this thrilling experience on camera and this was later posted on social media.
Posted on Facebook
They posted this breath-taking video on Facebook, with a caption that read: "Our silverback gorilla Bobo made a surprising new friend this week - a wild bushbaby!
Caregivers discovered him cradling the tiny primate during their morning checks, and were amazed to see him handling it with the utmost care."
Social Media Reactions
The video went viral almost immediately. It garnered more than 2,000 comments and over 1.7 million views in a short while. A lot of people from all over the world were deeply touched by the heartwarming, soul-searching relationship between Bobo and his little, newfound friend.
A lot of people commended Bobo's attitude towards this tiny fellow and agreed that we all could learn a thing or two from the ape's display of character.
Empathy Among Different Species
One user by the name wrote, "These gorillas have a very nurturing and empathic nature, the human race could learn from these beautiful, thoughtful animals."
"Exactly why I love gorillas... because they're amazingly gentle giants who are extremely intelligent animals," another commented. These comments highlight the need for endangered species to be protected.
The Dangers Wildlife Face
Sadly, these apes are greatly endangered throughout the Congo basin where poaching and massive deforestation are status quo.
Broadly speaking, there are two main species of gorillas – the western gorilla and the eastern gorilla. The western gorilla is divided into two subspecies namely, the western lowland gorilla and the cross river gorilla, while the eastern gorilla is also divided into two subspecies, the eastern lowland gorilla and the mountain gorilla.
Highly Intelligent Creatures
Gorillas are highly intelligent creatures. Wild gorillas have shown their intelligence in different areas like construction; where they have seen making ladders to help baby gorillas climb. And they are also skilled communicators; gorillas have been recorded making about 25 different sounds.
Gorillas have been seen using sticks for gauging the depth of water and eating ants with sticks while avoiding getting stung. So smart!
An Evolutionary Cousin
According to scientists, humans and gorillas have about 98.3% similarities in genetic material. This figure places them as one of our closest relatives, evolutionally speaking, after chimpanzees and bonobos.
But sadly, gorillas are among the most endangered animals in the world. Animal Charity organizations in Cameroon are working to change that narrative. But the sanctuary has immense need of a huge, steady flow of funds to provide care for these primates. For now, they rely on volunteers, student zoologists, and public donations.
From Scratch
Ape Action Africa was formed in 1996, it started as a UK charity called CWAF [Cameroon Wildlife Aid Fund]. The charity's initial aim was to create better living conditions for primates housed at Mvog-Betsi Zoo in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
In the course of its 12-year operation, the CWAF expanded its operations to providing sanctuary for orphaned primates of poaching, like Bobo.
Work In Progress
Ape Action Africa is home to over 300 primates making it one of the largest primate conservation projects in Africa.
In the sanctuary, there is a good number of gorilla groups, and one of the predominant ones is Bobo's group which includes two black backs, Kibu and Nkamum, three females gorillas; Jasmine, Geri, and Avishag, and her baby Eto-fils, and of course their boss, the silverback, Bobo.
Enlightening the Public
Bobo's limelight from his internet fame has helped shed more on about the plight of these animals and the amount of work these charity groups put in to alleviate these primate's burden.
The main challenges these animals face are poaching practices and habitat loss due to increasing industrialization. The 20 million hectares of tropical rainforest Cameroon once boasted of having is continuously depleting.
Is There Hope?
Though primates are still on the endangered species list, there is still hope for them provided appropriate measures are put in place.
Sir David Attenborough, who has been to Cameroon said, "It is incredibly heartening to see how the efforts of so many different groups – communities, governments, NGOs – have paid off. The threats to mountain gorillas haven't disappeared entirely, of course, so now the challenge must be to ensure that these achievements are sustained long into the future."
Woman Thought She Rescued a Kitten, But She Was Shocked to See What It Grew Up to Be
There are so many stray animals in the world who are desperate to be adopted and given a second chance at life. However, the human will to adopt is far less than the supply. This is largely because choosing to adopt an animal is not a decision to be made lightly.
When you adopt an animal, you agree to love them despite the abuse and hardships that they have endured. When you choose to take home an animal from the side of the road, these uncertainties are even more of a reality. For Florencia Lobo, adopting a stray kitten didn’t quite go as she thought it would.
Florencia Lobo Was Prompted by an Act of Kindness
What started out as a normal day fishing with her brother in Tucumán, in the northwest of Argentina, turned into a life-changing event for 18-year-old Florencia Lobo. The teen was expecting to take home a big fish, but she took home something very different.
Already having finished school, Florencia spends her days studying social work which has a strong focus on helping others. This makes what happens next all the more understandable - and shocking at the same time.
The Siblings Never Expected to Find What They Did
On the morning of the fateful discovery, Florencia headed off to Santa Rosa de Leales, a settlement in Tucumán in the northwest of Argentina. She had plans with her brother to go fishing, but they were distracted when they heard a light cry.
With their interest piqued, they put down their rods and went to investigate. At first, they thought that the sound was that of a fallen bird, but they couldn’t have been more wrong. What they found next would change their lives.
Their Discovery Is Not What They Expected
Together, the brother and sister left their fishing gear where it was and went to find out what the noise was. Walking over to a tree, they discovered the source of the sound and raised their eyebrows in surprise.
There, under the tree, were two ginger kittens lying next to their dead mother. Without a mother to care for the newborn cats, Florencia was certain that they wouldn’t survive. So, she decided that she had to rescue the poor animals.
There Were A Lot of Missing Puzzle Pieces
Florencia’s day had developed dramatically. It started as a normal fishing trip and ended with her as the adopted mother of two ginger cats. How did she get to this point? Her instinct to care for others had kicked in, and she realized that she couldn’t leave the two ginger kittens to die.
She shares, “We thought that it was an abandoned cat who had given birth.” And while her thoughts appeared to be correct, she couldn’t have been more wrong.
Buy One, Get One Free
Looking at the tragic scene, Florencia’s heart broke for the two small cats. They appeared to be barely one week old and looked helpless and hungry. Their mother was missing part of her loin, leading Florencia to believe that she had been attacked by a larger animal.
After finding the desperate kittens meowing alongside their deceased mother, Florencia was left with no option but to take both of them home with her. She scooped up the kittens and took them both under her wing, making them a part of her family from the very first minute.
A Tragic Turn of Events
For the first few days, Florencia doted on the two ginger kittens. She even gave them names to make them feel more like family. The female was named Dani, and the male was named Tito. However, one week after welcoming the kittens into her home, something awful happened.
Dani failed to recover her strength, and after a week of staying with Florencia she passed away. Florencia was incredibly sad, but invested all of her extra energy into her new faithful companion - Tito.
Tito Was Seemingly Healthy
After Dani passed away, Florencia and Tito became closer than ever. The little kitten would follow her around, and respond to her whistle-call. The pair were two peas in a pod, and Florencia couldn’t imagine how she’d feel if anything happened to Tito. So, she decided to take precautions.
Although Tito seemed to be in great health, Florencia decided to take him for a check-up when he was two months old. Little did she know what she would find out.
The Highly Anticipated Visit to the Vet
You’d think that Florencia would have taken Tito to the vet earlier. After finding him hungry and helpless on the side of the road, and after his sister’s failed attempt at recovery, it’s surprising that Tito wasn’t taken for a check-up before.
However, Tito appeared to be in great health and there didn’t seem to be any cause for concern or action. Until one day, something happened to the ginger kitten that forced a visit to the veterinarian.
A Normal Injury Leads to a Suspicious Discovery
Florencia admits that Tito is one small animal wrapped into a huge bundle of energy. He constantly plays and jumps around. It was only a matter of time until the young cat stumbled into some trouble and hurt one of his legs.
Seeing her kitten in pain, Florencia didn’t know what to do other than to take him to the vet - so that’s exactly what she did. She never could have imagined that the visit would be so mind-blowing, though.
Tito’s Health Becomes Florencia’s Priority
After taking the two ginger kittens under her wing, and having one of them pass away under her care, Florencia was adamant about keeping Tito healthy and in tip-top shape. When he hurt one of his legs, she decided that going to the vet would be the best option.
Gathering Tito into her arms, Florencia prepared to make her way to the vet and get his leg looked at by a professional. With all of her concerns focused on Tito, she didn’t think to prepare herself for what the vet might say.
The Moment of Truth
The young woman arrived at the vet with Tito carefully cradled in her arms. She opened the doors of the clinic, proudly doting on her new kitten, and prepared to have him tended to. She had come to love Tito and his mischievous nature more than anything and wanted to make sure that he had the best care.
Although Florencia was concerned enough to take the kitten to the vet, she didn’t have any serious expectations about severe damage. As a result, she expected this trip to the vet to be rather standard. But she couldn’t have been more wrong.
Florencia’s Expectations Were Turned on Their Head
Up until this point, Florencia thought that she was taking her rescued ginger kitten to the vet to have his leg checked out. But by the time that she would leave, her whole world would be turned upside down.
Releasing the furry kitten to the veterinarian, Florencia expected to be told that the leg would be put in a cast and that Tito would have to tone down his hyperactivity. But that’s not all that she was told.
All That It Took Was One Quick Look
As a student studying social work, Florencia was on a tight budget. She had found this particular veterinary clinic that was close to her house and decided that she could both afford them and trust them in their diagnosis.
However, when Florencia gently handed over her bundle of joy, she was met with a rather unexpected and shocking surprise. The veterinarian turned to Florencia and told her that Tito was not a normal house cat - leaving her completely baffled. What did this mean?
If Not a Domestic House Cat, Then What?
Florencia stood in the veterinary rooms with her mouth on the floor. The vet had taken one quick look at Tito and rather than speak about his injured leg, he spoke about how Tito was actually a different species altogether.
The only problem was that the vet couldn’t tell what species Tito is. Florencia shares, “The vet didn’t know what it was but said it was not a normal cat and gave me the number of the reserve.”
Florencia Left the Vet More Confused Than Ever
If the little bundle of loving ginger fluff that Florencia had brought back to her home wasn’t really a cat, then what could he possibly be? If a professional vet couldn’t answer the question, then who could?
Florencia was incredibly confused, especially because Tito resembled a house cat so beautifully. Nobody seemed to have the answers that Florencia needed, so she decided that she would pick up the phone and call the number that the vet had given her.
The Veterinarian Passed the Baton to a Specialist
Florencia hoped that by calling the number that the vet had given to her, that she would get the answers to her desperate question. So, she picked up her phone and waited for an answer with bated breath.
Florencia hoped that by calling the number that the vet had given to her, that she would get the answers to her desperate question. So, she picked up her phone and waited for an answer with bated breath.
A Suspense-Filled Phone Call
Florencia decided that she had to get to the bottom of the mystery. When she picked Tito up from the side of the road, she didn’t think much further than how cute and helpless he looked. The last thing that she ever expected was to be told that he wasn’t as he appeared.
Picking up her phone, Florencia began to punch in the phone number given to her by the vet. At the back of her mind, a simple question kept replaying over and over again - if Tito wasn’t a cat, then what could he possibly be?
If Not a Cat, Then What?
As far as Florencia was concerned, Tito looked like a baby kitten. And as they say, “if it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck - then it must be a duck!” But the vet had a different idea, and Florencia trusted that the vet knew more than she did.
As the teen waited for someone to pick up on the other phone line, her mind began to fill with all sorts of concerns and details that she had missed.
Flashback to Tito’s “Abnormal” Behavior
While still uncertain about what type of animal she had brought home, Florencia began replaying situations that should have acted as red flags.
For example, she shares that she noticed that he was a bit too active, but thought nothing of it. Florencia admits, “He likes to play, bite, and run pretty fast. He liked to get on the table and jump from there, he thought it was normal.” In fact, it was this sort of activity that led Tito to the vet in the first place.
The More She Thought About It, the Stranger His Behavior Was
Suddenly, small details started coming together to paint a larger picture. Although Tito looked like a ginger cat, certain features were slightly different and made him stand out from the norm.
His hyperactive behavior was also concerning, especially considering that he was a weak, abandoned kitten not that long ago. So, while Florencia admits that there were a few signs of things being amiss, she was still uncertain about what type of animal Tito was. But she was about to find out.
One Thing Was Certain
Although nobody could pinpoint exactly what species of animal Tito was, it was certain that he wasn’t a domestic house cat. This fact alone made Florencia a little bit concerned about how he would handle being put back in the wild.
She began to fear that he wouldn’t be able to fend for himself after being fed meat and milk on demand. Florencia shares, “I worry that he will be released and that he does not know how to do his usual things because he is already domesticated.”
No Place for a Wild Cat
Florencia had come to terms with the fact that Tito was not a domestic cat, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to keep him in her home. But before she could do anything about fixing the situation, she needed to find out what type of animal he was.
After being fed by Florencia, Tito had grown in size and his energy was indicative of that of a wild cat, but no one was certain what type of cat he was.
Argentine Animal Rescue Foundation to the Rescue
Eventually, Florencia managed to solve the lingering mystery. Using the number that the vet had given her, she was finally put through to the Argentine Animal Rescue Foundation. The group then transferred Florencia to Horco Molle Nature Reserve.
The staff at the reserve took not more than one look at the young cat and immediately confirmed what type of animal Tito was. Instead of being a domestic ginger cat, Tito turned out to be none other than a Jaguarundi Puma.
Tito Finally Knew What Type of Animal He Was
With the help of the vet, the Argentine Animal Rescue Foundation and Horco Molle Nature Reserve, Florencia was able to confirm that Tito was a Jaguarundi Puma. Her looming suspicions of Tito being a wild cat were officially confirmed.
The Jaguarundi Puma is a small wild cat that is native to American territories reaching all the way from Arizona to Argentina. Simply by luck, Florencia just happened to stumble across the orphaned cub and give it the help that it needed to survive.
What Exactly Is a Jaguarundi Puma?
Now that Florencia and all those involved knew what type of animal Tito is, they could decide how best to improve his living conditions. The wild cat can weigh up to 9 kilograms as an adult, which is significantly more than regular house cats, and would quickly outgrow Florencia's small home.
The animals, which are sometimes referred to as “otter-cats” are elusive creatures and are native to southern North America, and South America - explaining how Florencia came to find Tito when his mother died.
Interesting Facts About the Jaguarundi Puma
The wild cats have a short, uniform coat with three color phases. The cats with a lighter colored coat, such as Tito, tend to spend their time in drier habitats where their coloring can provide better camouflage.
In addition, these cats prefer to spend more time on the ground than other big cat species, but they can still jump as high as two meters in the air and hunt small mammals and birds. These habits make up a very different lifestyle from the one that Tito had while living with Florencia.
A Small Home Is No Place For A Wild Animal
Knowing these details about Tito, Florencia was faced with a very difficult situation. She had to give up Tito so that he could have a better life. She understands why Tito can’t live with her anymore, but she still has concerns about how he’ll fare in the wild after being domesticated as a cub.
In the meantime, Tito is being carefully cared for by the reserve in order to prepare him for the return to his natural habitat.
Florencia Took the High Road
During the past two months, Florencia had developed a deep bond with Tito. The pair were inseparable and she loved the kitten more than anything. She could never have predicted that a trip to the vet would lead to the unveiling of such a shocking truth.
But knowing the truth about what type of animal Tito is, she had to hand him over to the reserve. Florencia had to trust that the reserve would look after him and bridge the gap between being a domesticated cat to a wild cat.
That Didn’t Stop Florencia From Missing Tito
Although she made the right decision, Florencia admits that she misses Tito terribly. She shares, “I miss him a lot, he was waiting for me when I arrived from school.” Now, Tito is being conditioned in the reserve to survive in the wild.
At the end of the day, fate brought Florencia and Tito together. Without her help, who knows whether or not Tito would have survived. We hope that Tito gets strong quickly and adapts easily to his new environment.