Longleat Gorilla Gets Set For Wimbledon

24 June 2013, 13:14 | Updated: 27 June 2013, 12:38

Seemingly dwarfed in his huge hands, a silverback gorilla at Longleat Safari & Adventure Park gets to grips with a tennis racquet as Wimbledon gets under way.

Even the famously belligerent John McEnroe might think twice before challenging a line call with western lowland silverback gorilla Boulas. And it would take a brave umpire indeed to penalise the massive primate for racquet abuse.

Tipping the scales at around 220kgs, 26-year-old Boulas is certainly a force to be reckoned with and keepers were intrigued to see how he reacted when they placed a tennis racquet and balls in his extensive outdoor enclosure.

Longleat’s Ian Turner said:

“Boulas is a typical silverback who wants everyone to know how tough he is so we didn’t think the racquet would last too long once he got hold of it.

However he was actually surprisingly gentle with it and although it looked like a child’s toy in his hands, he seemed genuinely intrigued by his new plaything – although none of us dared tell him it wasn’t really the done thing to lick the strings!”

Male silverbacks rely on superior strength and power to control the rest of the group and Boulas can often be seen beating his chest and showing off his muscles to display his authority to passing visitors.

He is part of a bachelor group of western lowland gorillas at Longleat who live together on a lakeside retreat close to Longleat House.

Featuring more than a dozen mature trees in an extensive outdoor grassed area, their spacious enclosure overlooks Longleat’s Half Mile Lake and utilises natural boundaries wherever possible without the barriers of bars or glass.

In addition to the existing trees, keepers have installed a selection of outdoor climbing logs and frames. The gorillas also share a large indoor shelter with a communal area featuring ropes, swings and climbing apparatus.