Tuesday 12 June 2012

A Gorilla Tale {Short Tale Tuesday}



Johari sat in the bright afternoon sun, leaning against the wall of glass. She felt warm and cosy, as the glass reflected the heat of the suns rays into her furry side. She was content in the moment, just listening to the gentle sounds around her and rubbing off the dirt on her soft, leather-like hands.

Bang, bang, bang!

Her eyes flicked to the side, but she refused to turn and look. The incessant banging to get her attention annoyed her. She considered moving away, but was comfortable there, so she continued to ignore it.

Bang, bang.....bang, bang!


She tried to let her mind wander, but being surrounded by walls and fences didn't exactly lend itself to a myriad of experiences. Instead she closed her eyes, and turned her face towards the sun. Shapes danced behind her closed lids, bringing to mind the stories of her ancestors that her mother used to tell her.
Johari's mother, Yuska, was also born in a zoo, but Yuska's grandmother had been born in the motherland. She had told Yuska tales of her life back then, and these same tales, Yuska had repeated to Johari.
The old ape had been very young when the men killed her family and took her, but she had remembered the sights and smells vividly, until the day she re-joined her descendants in the stars.
Johari had been told of the green everywhere, and the wet warmth that permeated every fibre of their being. The moist, clean air that reverberated with the calls of chimpanzees, and the sounds of the elephants stomping through the underbrush. They had spent their days munching on lush green leaves, and fruits and insects, and playing together when their appetite was spent. But occasionally, they would also smell the frighteningly, offensive smell of man, and have to flee their current playground, never knowing if they would all still be together when they were safe to stop.

Bang, bang, bang!


Jolted from her daydreaming, Johari turned to the little girl banging on the other side of the glass, flaring her nostrils in distaste. She stared at her for a moment, before leaning over, grabbing a handful of grass and rubbing it over her chest. She then slowly got up, and lumbered over to the other side of the enclosure for some peace, as it wouldn't be long before her keepers came to call her inside for the evening.




Linking in with A Mum in the Wild for Short Tale Tuesday



15 comments:

  1. 'She was content in the moment, just listening to the gentle sounds around her and rubbing off the dirt on her soft, leather-like hands.' Beatiful. It's exactly what they do and they do appear to just be sitting in the moment.

    I wonder how animals feel living in a zoo. Well, I work at a zoo, so it's hard not to. I know the keepers love their animals, I know they try to enrich their life as much as they can but it still makes me wonder. It still makes me want to set them free. So does this story.

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    1. Thanks Penny. I would love to work in a zoo! Just thinking about all the different species I could work with.....it would be incredible! But I think I would be conflicted too. At the moment, every animal I rehab gets released (as long as it's a candidate for release), but seeing those animals never leave their enclosure...... Yeah, I don't know. It's hard :)

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    2. It's most certainly a catch twenty two Trace. Luckily I'm in the education side, so I do feel like I'm making a difference.

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  2. Stunning post Tracey. You have a real gift for story telling. I actually felt a little emotional reading the bit about the old ape 're-joined her descendants in the stars'. Beautifully written.

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    1. Thank you Catherine! What a lovely thing to say! I'm quite chuffed!! (is that an English thing to say??) :)

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  3. That was truly wonderful Tracey. I could see and feel every emotion coming from Johari. I could picture every movement. Truly well done!

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  4. Thanks Jacqui! So glad you liked it :)

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  5. Lovely story, Tracey. I love seeing the Gorillas when we go to the zoo but I do always wonder what they're thinking, if they're happy.
    Beautiful yet a little heartbreaking at the same time.

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    1. Thanks Grace. You wonder how they can possibly be happy, don't you? But if they've never known any different....

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  6. Gorillas always look so wise and thoughtful, it was lovely to read your story and get a glimse of what might be going through their minds.

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  7. Oh I LOVE this. I was so fortunate to spend an hour with the gorillas in their real home in the Ugandan forest. I can't bear to see gorillas in zoos, it breaks my heart. They are such beautiful and ferocious creatures. The silverback in the family charged us- a moment that is forever etched in my memory and a sheer couple seconds of terror!!
    Beautiful writing. A fan in my community (Catherine Rodie Bladgg) shared it on my wall. So glad she did

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    1. Thank you Caz! I'll have to thank Catherine as well!

      I can't think of anything more amazing than spending time with them in the wild! What an absolutely incredible experience! But shit yeah....that silverback charging at you would have been terrifying!!

      I hope my story was fairly true to how they really are. I can only base it on what I've seen on the television, at the zoo, and my imagination did the rest.

      Thanks for popping in and leaving a comment :)

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  8. It makes you wonder, is that what's really going on through a gorilla's mind? Beautiful story!

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    1. Thanks Tat!
      As I said to Caz above, I could only base my story on what I'd seen at the zoo recently, and on tv, so I really don't have a clue. I don't know that anyone does when it comes to animals. But I was going through my photos taken at the zoo, saw the gorilla one, and the imagination wheels started turning!
      Really glad you liked it :)

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