Blanket of the apes

OOOH ooh ooh, that’s better – a baby gorilla scratches an itch as she snuggles up in a furry blue blanket.

This gorilla girl is being looked after by staff at a zoo over fears her mother could not care for her properly.

Mum Kumbuka, 22, had the unnamed baby at a zoo in Jacksonville, Florida, at the weekend.

Kumbuka, who is deaf in both ears, was not handling her baby properly and staff took the infant away for fear she could die. Experts at the zoo suspect Kumbuka’s hearing disability may prevent her from detecting when her baby is in distress.

The 22-year-old gorilla previously lost two of her offspring.

Staff will now care for Kumbuka’s baby for the short term.

Kumbuka will be taught how to hold her tot and staff hope they will be properly reunited in four months. Hopefully they’ll be the best of pri-mates by them... SNUGGLED UP Ape sucks thumb