For parents struggling to entertain small children in #lockdown, see how this playful #mountaingorilla mum, Taraja, wrestles, tickles and gently bites the tummy of her chuckling older child, Umutware, while her infant clings onto her back and other juveniles play nearby. Young gorillas grow up in stable family groups, learning the rules of gorilla society through rambunctious play and observing the comportment of their elders - who clearly also like to play!
This delightful scene in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda​, was filmed only a few months ago, but as a precaution against #Covid-19, all tourist visits to #gorillas and other #apes have been suspended. Rangers and Gorilla Doctors​ monitoring them are keeping their distance while checking on these close relatives of ours. Unfortunately, the successful conservation work that has seen mountain gorilla numbers begin to recover is largely funded by ecotourism, and so the #pandemic travel restrictions have serious implications for the continuation of these important activities, making the support from gorilla charities even more critical.
For a list of such charities, see www.4apes.com
This video is 33rd in the daily #BrightenYourDay series.