People go ape for wildlife photo...
HAVING a sedated baby gorilla prematurely awaken while in your arms in the back of a car might normally be cause for concern, but Pikin the baby gorilla seemed unfazed to be in her rescuer’s arms.
Poachers in the thick African forest where Pikin and her troop lived in Cameroon had slaughtered her parents for meat. Babies such as Pikin don’t have much flesh so are often left to die in the forest or taken back to the cities to be sold as pets.
Thankfully, she was plucked to safety by Ape Action Africa, a non-profit conservation organisation, and taken to one of its sanctuaries. Having outgrown her enclosure, she needed to be transported to a bigger one and so was sedated before being gently lifted into a car for the trip there.
But before arrival, she unexpectedly awoke – and found herself sharing the back seat with Appolinaire Ndohoudou, one of the group’s volunteers who had helped to handrear her.
Perfectly at ease in his company and soothed by his presence on the bumpy ride, she fondly embraced him as she sat on his lap.
The remarkable display of gentleness shared between the primate and her human protector was captured in this heartwarming picture by Jo-Anne McArthur, 41, a Canadian photojournalist. The image yesterday won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award, beating nearly 50,000 others.