Spanking the big monkey
2002-11-01 13:55
Sydney - Zookeepers are refusing to help a sedated gorilla masturbate.
Kibabu the gorilla's inability to produce children has become an embarrassing industrial issue for Taronga Zoo in Sydney.
The zoo management's proposal for an artificial insemination programme using manual stimulation of the sedated gorilla was vetoed by zookeepers.
A zookeeper told a local daily: "No ways, mate...it was too bloody dangerous. What if he woke up?"
Taronga officials confirmed the masturbation programme was proposed last May, but said there had been no further attempt to employ it.
"I believe it's done in Europe," a spokesman told the paper. "There's been a lot of discussion on how to get semen from Kibabu for artificial insemination."
Instead, Kibabu, whose harem numbers five females, will probably be stimulated by an electrical device, a process called electro-ejaculation.
Kibabu's failure emerged as about 350 zoo staff planned to stop work to discuss workplace agreement issues, including wages, working hours, stress and job-related risks.
In an unrelated but equaly bizarre story of reproduction in the animal kingdom, a safari park in Engeland has given its only adult male rhino the herbal equivalent of the drug Viagra.
Keepers at West Midlands Safari Park said Rocky had failed in the past two years to mate with any of their four female rhinos.
For the past week staff at the Bewdley-based park have been giving the reluctant Romeo a herbal remedy made from natural ingredients.
"It is like Viagra and we're hoping it will do the trick," head warden Bob Lawrence said.
"He has been on it for a week now and there are signs that he's getting a little frisky. Next week when the park closes for winter we'll put him back with the girls and see what happens.
"Rocky is our only adult male rhino and it is essential that he starts doing the business."
Lawrence added that the park's only other male rhino was a calf - Rocky's son - and he was far too young to start mating. - ananova.com
- News24