BLOG TOUR : Growing Up Gorilla by Clare Hodgson Meeker
ABOUT THE BOOK
This heartwarming true story chronicles what happened after a mother gorilla gave birth for the first time and then walked away from her newborn baby at Seattle's Woodland Park. The dedicated staff worked tirelessly to find innovative ways for mother and baby to build a relationship. The efforts were ultimately successful, as baby Yola bonded with her mother and the rest of the family group.
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REVIEW
This tender story of the early life of a western lowland gorilla provides a glimpse into the world of a fascinating species and the work being done to try to preserve them. When Yola was born nobody at the zoo was sure what her mother, Nadiri's response would be. In the wild, gorilla's learn to be mothers through watching and learning form their own mothers. Nadiri had been rejected by her biological mother and raised by a surrogate. Would her mothering instincts show her how to care for her baby or would the keepers need to help her? Turns out Nadiri had no idea how to react to or care for her baby. As the book describes, it took a lot of careful work on the part of the caretakers to get Nadiri to the point where she could care for Yola. It was fascinating to discover how much people have learned about the importance of letting the mother do as much of the care as she can and the strategies they've worked out to help them learn to do so. It was also interesting to read about the process that was used to introduce Yola to the whole troop. The beautiful book design, large text, and plentiful photographs made the book a pleasure to read in addition to the interesting topic.
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