Gorilla mourning her son is image of grief that breaks human hearts, too
Bild-Zeitung /Marco Stepniak
A mother gorilla bereft over the death of her baby son brought humans to tears – and brought humanity a little closer to animals.
It is a picture of pain that made mothers of all species cry – a grieving gorilla named Gana holding her dead baby in her hands.
Gana’s traumatic ordeal began when her 3-month-old son, Claudio, suddenly died in her arms.
Holding him like a doll, Gana stared at her son, apparently puzzled by his lolling head and limp arms.
Gently, she shook her boy.
Gently, she stroked his hair.
There was no response.
A crowd gathered outside Gana’s compound at the zoo in Munster, Germany, drawn by the unfolding tragedy, but Gana only had eyes for her son.
She prodded her boy. She caressed her boy. She seemed to be trying to will him back to life.
After a while, Gana gently placed Claudio on her back and slowly circled the compound, stopping every few steps to see if her boy was breathing again. Claudio gave no sign of life.
So Gana, age 11, resumed her lonesome pacing while all around her hearts were breaking.
Hundreds of humans bore witness to Gana’s torment on Saturday