A Mother’s Day Story: Monkey See, Monkey Do?

Whether or not you believe in Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, one cannot dispute the extraordinary similarities between humans and our friends (or to some, family), the primates.

During a recent visit to the zoo, I sat down in the Primate House to quickly nurse my infant daughter. I made us comfortable on a bench facing one of the Gorilla exhibits.  After about a minute on the bench, I looked up from my daughter and noticed, through the glass plate that separated us from the exhibit, that a female Gorilla had strolled into the exhibit space and sat down, directly in front of me with her brand new infant, baby girl.  Within a few seconds, the baby Gorilla latched onto her mother’s breast and began to nurse.

We sat there, we two, me, the human mommy and she, the Gorilla mommy and stared at each other.  To say the least, the moment was…well, a little strange, surreal and even…familiar?  I am not suggesting that I look exactly like a mommy Gorilla (although, after nursing two children, my breasts do look a lot like a female Gorilla’s breasts… like a pair of ‘empty socks’, but I digress), but I felt that the extraordinary and intimate bond I have with my daughter was thoroughly displayed in the mommy/baby gorilla scene before me.  Some may find this ridiculous and even frightening, but the recognition not only left me with a greater respect for/understanding of the relationship I believe we have with primates, but also a greater appreciation for a mother’s love.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mommies, humans and animals, alike.

Tags: Darwin, Gorilla, Mother, nursing, Primate

Category: Kids & Food