January 19, 2024 at 2.56pm
Bokito was transferred to the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium nine months after his death. There, the silverback gorilla will be part of a major scientific study. “We knew ahead of time that we had to do something with this special monkey.”
At Blijdorp Zoo it had been clear for some time that it wanted to make the gorilla’s body available to science. “An animal that meant so much to the city and the zoo must have an impact even after its death,” Rotterdam Zoo writes in a press release.
“Bokito offers science a unique opportunity to perform a CT scan of an adult male gorilla. Great apes are rarely available to science,” explains a spokesperson.
That CT scan is still a challenge. “Bokito is so large and heavy that it doesn’t fit on a normal CT scan,” says Professor Evie Vereeck. “So we had to look for a special scanner that is also used for horses.”
That’s why the 220-kilo gorilla goes to Ghent University first. There the CT scan is performed so that a 3D digital model of the skeleton can be created. Researchers can use this scan all over the world.
The scientists will then examine the gorilla’s shoulder joint. The structure and function of the shoulder of other great apes is also being studied. Additionally, all individual muscles are measured, weighed and documented. Finally, the mobility of each joint is determined.
This allows scientists to better understand the difference between monkeys that swing and monkeys that prefer to stay on the ground. It also becomes clear what influence their lifestyle and movement have on muscles and joints.
Bokito is not on display
After the research, Bokito’s skin and skeleton will be added to the collection of the Natural History Museum in Rotterdam. But they are not visible to visitors; So Bokito isn’t ready either. This was a conscious decision to avoid it becoming a selfie hotspot.
Bokito became famous throughout the world because he escaped in 2007. He injured four people. Yvonne de Horde, 57, has had a particularly difficult time. The attack left her with more than a hundred bite wounds. She also broke her wrist and arm.
That action put Bokito in the dictionary. Bokito behavior represents traditional male behavior in which someone threatens or tries to impress others. “But he was a very sweet and caring leader,” the zoo spokeswoman said.
The zoo wants to prevent Bokito’s aggressive image from sticking and “people seeking sensation”, for example by posing with the gorilla as if he were being bitten. “Just taking a photo with Bokito” is no longer possible.
2024-01-19 13:56:29
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