Get to know gorillas

The Gorilla Show, one of the entertainment acts for DSS Adventure Surprises, combines a serious message of environmental conservation with pure fun


They scratch, they stare, they amble oh-so-slowly across the floor to where their keeper stands. With their nearly human hands, carefully considered movements and soulful, intelligent eyes, gorillas are bewitching to watch, and the four clambering around the foyer of the Metropolitan Deira Hotel are no different. They are pure magic, or at least until they take their masks off.

Darlene Fossey, reportedly long-lost cousin of famed gorilla conservationist Diane Fossey, is both gorilla keeper and minder. Her charges includes Big Dave, the father; Colombe, the mother; and kids Moby and Maloko, all played by professional actor-entertainers from Britain. The group is here to lend something a little different to Adventure Surprises Week, educating the public about the mountain gorillas' environmental crisis and entertaining them with their antics.

"We started The Gorilla Show for the Millennium Dome in London, when the organisers asked us to come up with some different acts," says Darlene, whose partner was keen to focus on something beneficial to the environment.

"There are only 650 mountain gorillas in the world, all of them in Central Africa, and they are constantly under threat, so what they need is a lot of help from the rest of us."

The Gorilla Show has connections to the Diane Fossey Foundation established to protect the mountain gorillas discovered by the original Fossey in Africa. In the past, they have put on free performances to raise funds for the foundation, and are currently working on educational projects with them.

In her role as keeper and minder, Darlene introduces the gorillas to the audience and educates them about their behaviour, social structure and their situation in the wild. For those who are interested, she will also advise on the best way to approach the foursome.