Moya - gorilla baby
Hi, my name is Moya, which in Swahili means the "first," and I'm a baby lowland gorilla. Everyone thought I was a boy when I was born, but that isn't true. Now the whole world knows that I am a gorilla girl.
My parents are Richard and Kijivu; they're those two big and nice monkeys. Sorry, that's not what you're supposed to call them, the right word is ape. I was born on 13th December 2004 at Prague Zoo and have lived here all my life. I'm proud to say that I'm the first baby gorilla to be successfully reared in the Czech Republic. I love everything you can bite your teeth into, but I love my mum most. In the last couple of weeks I have had to manage with myself.
Maybe you are asking why? The reason is that my mother is going to have another baby. It will only happen in May but even now she is teaching me to be on my own. She is going to have a lot of work with my brother or sister.
Aunt Kamba with who I was great friends does not have enough time for me. Any day she is going to give birth to a baby of her own. I am really nervous if it will be a boy or a girl. Hopefully it will be in good condition and will be able to play with me.
I have become very independent in the last two years. I travel a lot and climb on anything that I am able to find all the time. I love to play, with branches, rope, twigs or any present that I occasionally receive.
When I had my first birthday I got a really cool car. That was so good. So many people came to congratulate! I am looking forward for my next birthday...And it's coming soon.
Before everyone found out that I am a gorilla female it kept on changing. Boy, girl, boy, girl before it finally got confirmed, black on white that I am a gorilla girl.
I also organized an art competition into which children from the Czech Republic and abroad were sending me different pictures and other artistic creations.
I am big and skilled and have enough strength but one morning an almost fatal event happened to me. I did not realize that I cannot swim and I almost drowned. Everyone would probably feel very sad. Even the Director of the Zoo, Mr. Fejk says about me that I am the number one suckling in Prague!
You can write to me or leave me a message on my personal electronic e-mail address at: moja@rozhlas.cz
My first video:
Uncle Marek Ždánský says: "Moya has made great progress in recent weeks. She no longer holds on to her mother all the time, but is more adventurous, venturing further and further away. Her father Richard is only now beginning to show interest in her, unlike Aunty Shinda, who has occasionally "stolen" Moya away from her mother..." I don't understand, but those big white, hairless apes are much funnier anyhow.
