WORLD> Europe
Gorilla refuses to let go of her dead baby
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-08-21 11:49

BERLIN  -- A gorilla at a zoo in the German city of Muenster is refusing to let go of her dead baby's body several days after it died of unknown causes.


Gana the gorilla carries her dead baby on her shoulder at the zoo in Muenster, western Germany, Wednesday August 20,2008. The baby died on August 16 but can only be recovered from the enclosure once the mother leaves the corpse behind, zoo spokesperson Ilona Zuehlke said. [Agencies] 

Allwetter Zoo spokeswoman Ilona Zuehlke says the 3-month-old male baby died on Saturday but its 11-year-old mother continues to carry its body around. Zuehlke says such behavior is not uncommon to gorillas.

Zuehlke says the mother "is mourning and must say goodbye." The mother gorilla is named Gana.

Signs were posted near Gana's enclosure Wednesday to explain the situation to visitors. A staff member is also present to answer questions.

The baby was named Claudio and was Gana's second baby. She had a female baby in 2007 that now lives at the Stuttgart Zoo.