Bokito (Berlin, March 14, 1996) is a male Western Gorilla that lives in Diergaarde Blijdorp, a zoo in the city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He appeared in the news after he had escaped from his enclosure and seriously injured a female visitor on May 18, 2007. Born in the Berlin zoo Zoologischer Garten, Bokito was raised by his human attendants after having been rejected by his mother. To evade the risk of inbreeding, he was transferred to the Diergaarde Blijdorp in August 2005. On May 18, 2007, Bokito jumped over the ditch that separated his enclosure from the public and violently attacked a woman, dragging her around for tens of meters and inflicting bone fractures as well as more than a hundred bite wounds. He subsequently entered the nearby restaurant, causing panic among the visitors. During this encounter, three more people were injured as a result of the panic. Bokito was eventually sedated with the help of a tranquilizer gun and placed back in his cage. The woman who was attacked later turned out to have been a regular visitor to the great apes' enclosure. She had a habit of touching the glass that separated her from the gorillas while making eye contact with Bokito and smiling to him, a practice that is discouraged by primatologists, as apes are likely to interpret human smiling as a form of aggressive display. Bokito had escaped before; in the summer of 2004, he climbed the three-meter high wall of his enclosure in Berlin. On this occasion, he was escorted back to his cage without problems. (Wikipedia)- The woman who got attacked was teasing Bokito, laughing at him and for some reason she came back every day before the accident! Some people who have worked with gorilla's and know a lot about them say the ape attacked her, because he was angry for she was behind the glass. He punished her for not listening to him to join the group.Bokito became famous here as a symbol of "I-don't-accept-my-opppression-anymore"... -->Ever felt like you didn't wear it any longer and changed your situation by doing something crazy?-

They're smarter then we know or think...........lol

I hate zoos. Never liked them.

What a boring life,in a cage and probably can't hear any thing.

cruelty if you ask me, silly cow deserved to be attacked

Thank you for very very interesting journal. Hmmm I am with the ape, a true Alpha male.

ah old story comes up again its been months ago since that happens

>Piant: I agree

>Eddie: sure.. that's true

>Cocoabrotha: I never hated zoos, but I do pity the animals..

>BJ: it's true, they must have a sad life like a prisoner

>Skado: she deserved it I agree

>Kai: silly demonstation indeed

>Waza: I am a alpha werewolf

>Kenny: this happened in Summer, don't know if this was posted here on TF,

guess many didn't know this story of the ape's breakout..

>Noi: another sad story about a gorilla...

Because I am a teacher I know how much children can enjoy being in the zoo..

albeit they really enjoy being on the big slides and jungle gyms available in the zoo as well.

For some it's the only chance to see wild animals though. It can inspire the kids to want to know more about biology.

Young kids are always much impressed by animal life.