Philadelphia Zoo Gorilla Walks Upright To Keep His Hands And Food Clean!

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Louis the lowland western gorilla (Photo Credit: Philadelphia Zoo)

While gorillas are perfectly capable of walking on two legs, most take just a step or two before dropping on all fours. However, Louis, a 16-year-old male gorilla at the Philadelphia Zoo, is often seen taking longer strolls, especially when the ground is wet or he is holding a delicious snack or two.

According to a 2015 blog by the great ape’s keeper, “When caught out in a rainstorm, he'll run bipedally across the yard to seek cover, and when he accidentally steps in mud, he'll find a leaf or a paper bag and wipe his hand or foot off until they are clean again.” To help Louis in his desire to keep his hands clean, the zoo has created a bridge using fire hoses which allows the gorilla to avoid muddy puddles in his enclosure.

Louis the gorilla likes to walk on his two feet when given snacks (Photo Credit Philadelphia Zoo)

The six-foot-tall, 450-pound animal is among the largest and, according to officials, “probably the shyest” of all the zoo’s gorillas. Born in St. Louis, the western lowland gorilla has spent his entire life in captivity. Michael Stern, the zoo’s curator of primates and small mammals, believes his bipedal personality quirk is probably a result of spending his whole life around bipedal humans.

Endemic to the lowland swamps of Central Africa, the western lowland gorilla is the smallest of the four gorilla subspecies, which include the cross river gorilla, the mountain gorilla, and eastern lowland gorilla. Easily recognizable by their brownish coloration and streak of silver hair across the small of their backs and, in some cases, rump and thighs, the great apes are a critically endangered species, thanks to a drastic decline in population due to loss of habitat and illegal poaching.

Resources: nationalzoo.si.edu, news.nationalgeographic.com, dailymail.co.uk

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Dolasia, Meera. “Philadelphia Zoo Gorilla Walks Upright To Keep His Hands And Food Clean!.” DOGOnews, DOGO Media, Inc., 25 Mar, 2018, www.dogonews.com/2018/3/25/philadelphia-zoo-gorilla-walks-upright-to-keep-his-hands-and-food-clean. Accessed 14 Aug. 2020.

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Dolasia, Meera. “Philadelphia Zoo Gorilla Walks Upright To Keep His Hands And Food Clean!.” DOGOnews, DOGO Media, Inc., 25 Mar, 2018, Web. 14 Aug. 2020.

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Dolasia, M. (2018, March 25). Philadelphia Zoo Gorilla Walks Upright To Keep His Hands And Food Clean!. Retrieved 2020, August 14, from https://www.dogonews.com/2018/3/25/philadelphia-zoo-gorilla-walks-upright-to-keep-his-hands-and-food-clean

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Dolasia, Meera. “Philadelphia Zoo Gorilla Walks Upright To Keep His Hands And Food Clean!.” DOGOnews. March 25, 2018. Accessed August 14, 2020. https://www.dogonews.com/2018/3/25/philadelphia-zoo-gorilla-walks-upright-to-keep-his-hands-and-food-clean.
989 Comments
  • wolfieland
    wolfielandSunday, August 9, 2020 at 12:03 pm
    smart and funneh!
    • ultrajango
      ultrajangoMonday, June 1, 2020 at 7:12 am
      so smart
      • sugarsweet1245
        sugarsweet1245Monday, May 18, 2020 at 7:25 am
        cool
        • gilchey
          gilcheyThursday, April 30, 2020 at 12:55 am
          So clever
          • panini07
            panini07Friday, March 27, 2020 at 10:51 pm
            So funny and smart
            • slytherin_lover
              slytherin_loverSaturday, February 22, 2020 at 4:55 pm
              That gorilla is legit smarter than meh.
              • pricklyprince
                pricklyprinceFriday, October 25, 2019 at 12:54 pm
                My PUPPY loves mud!!!
                • area 51 alienSunday, October 20, 2019 at 3:51 pm
                  it was cool i never seen it in my planet thers noting like it
                  • KittyThursday, September 12, 2019 at 8:29 pm
                    Wow
                    • 123456789Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at 3:47 pm
                      SMART gorilla

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                      Dolasia, Meera. “Philadelphia Zoo Gorilla Walks Upright To Keep His Hands And Food Clean!.” DOGOnews, DOGO Media, Inc., 25 Mar, 2018, www.dogonews.com/2018/3/25/philadelphia-zoo-gorilla-walks-upright-to-keep-his-hands-and-food-clean. Accessed 14 Aug. 2020.

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                      Dolasia, Meera. “Philadelphia Zoo Gorilla Walks Upright To Keep His Hands And Food Clean!.” DOGOnews, DOGO Media, Inc., 25 Mar, 2018, Web. 14 Aug. 2020.

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                      Dolasia, Meera. “Philadelphia Zoo Gorilla Walks Upright To Keep His Hands And Food Clean!.” DOGOnews. March 25, 2018. Accessed August 14, 2020. https://www.dogonews.com/2018/3/25/philadelphia-zoo-gorilla-walks-upright-to-keep-his-hands-and-food-clean.

                      APA

                      Dolasia, M. (2018, March 25). Philadelphia Zoo Gorilla Walks Upright To Keep His Hands And Food Clean!. Retrieved 2020, August 14, from https://www.dogonews.com/2018/3/25/philadelphia-zoo-gorilla-walks-upright-to-keep-his-hands-and-food-clean

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                      1. Easily recognizable by their brownish coloration and streak of silver hair across the small of their backs and, in some cases, rump and thighs, the great apes are a critically endangered species, thanks to a drastic decline in population due to loss of habitat and illegal poaching.

                      2. Endemic to the lowland swamps of Central Africa, the western lowland gorilla is the smallest of the four gorilla subspecies, which include the cross river gorilla, the mountain gorilla, and eastern lowland gorilla.

                      3. Michael Stern, the zoo’s curator of primates and small mammals, believes his bipedal personality quirk is probably a result of spending his whole life around bipedal humans.

                      4. Easily recognizable by their brownish coloration and streak of silver hair across the small of their backs and, in some cases, rump and thighs, the great apes are a critically endangered species, thanks to a drastic decline in population due to loss of habitat and illegal poaching.

                      5. To help Louis in his desire to keep his hands clean, the zoo has created a bridge using fire hoses which allows the gorilla to avoid muddy puddles in his enclosure.

                      6. Easily recognizable by their brownish coloration and streak of silver hair across the small of their backs and, in some cases, rump and thighs, the great apes are a critically endangered species, thanks to a drastic decline in population due to loss of habitat and illegal poaching.

                      7. Easily recognizable by their brownish coloration and streak of silver hair across the small of their backs and, in some cases, rump and thighs, the great apes are a critically endangered species, thanks to a drastic decline in population due to loss of habitat and illegal poaching.

                      8. However, Louis, a 16-year-old male gorilla at the Philadelphia Zoo, is often seen taking longer strolls, especially when the ground is wet or he is holding a delicious snack or two.

                      9. According to a 2015 blog by the great ape’s keeper, “When caught out in a rainstorm, he'll run bipedally across the yard to seek cover, and when he accidentally steps in mud, he'll find a leaf or a paper bag and wipe his hand or foot off until they are clean again.”

                      10. To help Louis in his desire to keep his hands clean, the zoo has created a bridge using fire hoses which allows the gorilla to avoid muddy puddles in his enclosure.