Surfing the Net with Kids: Gorillas

July 18, 2001 Dear Reader, These are hard times for online publishers, such as Surfnetkids, because sponsors and advertisers are scarce. But my day was brightened yesterday by a reader who sent me this: “I look forward to this newsletter like a kid looks forward to Christmas. I’m 52 years old. I teach, so I share the information with my co-workers and parents. I love this site!” Signed, K.G.S. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Now, if you could just send a few sponsors my way 🙂 …. Today’s Gorillas topic is accompanied by the following extras: Rainforest Word Search & Glossary Download a Gorilla Screensaver Purchase a printer-friendly copy of today’s topic for just $1.00

Today’s newsletter is made possible by:

• 100 Best Science Sites for Middle School e-Book
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• 100 Best Sites for Preschool & Kindergarten
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Gorillas

https://www.surfnetkids.com/gorillas.htm

Gorillas are the largest of the apes, and have no natural enemies except for man. They make their home in the rain forests of Africa, near the equator. I was amazed to learn they were not discovered by man until 1847 (http://www.izoo.org/isc/discoveries.htm) . Can you imagine seeing a six-foot 450 pound gorilla for the very first time?

http://www.congogorillaforest.com/

The Congo Gorilla Forest exhibit at the Bronx Zoo is a “six-and-a-half acre African rain forest environment that explains WHAT a rain forest is, HOW it works, WHICH animals make it their home, WHY it is threatened and HOW people can help save it.” It is home to two troops of lowland gorillas. Best gorilla clicks are found on Meet the Congo Residents and by choosing Great Gorilla Forest on the Congo Virtual Tour. Elementary kids will like the Congo Game, which is a Shockwave version of a traditional “move-around-the-board” game for two to four players.

http://dsc.discovery.com/cams/gorillavid.html?ct=3b3a2617

I still thrill at the sight of live animal cams on my home computer. This cam is focused on six western lowland gorillas that live at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. The youngest member of the troop is baby Kira, born August 1999 to Kitombe and Kiki. “If you watch closely, you may get a chance to see Kira clinging to one of Kiki’s legs as the mother makes her way around the gorilla’s living space, which is designed to simulate the tropical forest of their endangered species’ home in equatorial Africa.”

http://www.koko.org/

In 1971, Francine “Penny” Patterson began teaching Koko, a newborn lowland gorilla, American Sign Language. Koko proved an able pupil, and her vocabulary has grown to 1000 words. The Gorilla Foundation (of Woodside, CA) has a dual mission of interspecies communication and gorilla preservation. First stop for elementary-age students should be the excellent Koko’s Kids Club. Older students will find oodles of information about the amazing “talking” Koko in Koko’s World and general gorilla background material in About Gorillas. Teachers can receive a free information packet by clicking on the Teacher icon at the top of the Kids Club. Happy 30th Birthday, Koko!

http://www.selu.com/bio/gorilla/

“Gorillas are primarily vegetarians, and large quantities of food are needed to sustain their massive bulk. They will eat large quantities of fruit when it is available, sometimes as much as the far more usually frugivorous (fruit-eating) chimpanzee.” For middle and high school students, Gorillas Online offers a rich resource on gorilla natural history, taxonomy and genetics. Everyone, however, will enjoy the gorilla photos, paintings, and illustrations found in the Gorilla Gallery.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/creature_feature/0007/gorillas.html

“Mountain gorillas are endangered. Less than 650 remain in the wild.” “The life span of a mountain gorilla is, in the wild, about forty years; in captivity, up to fifty years.” These are just two of the Fun Facts you’ll discover at this National Geographic Creature Feature. Best clicks are the audio clip of gorilla vocalizations, the Fun Facts, and the links to other featured creatures such as polar bears, hippopotamuses, and Nile crocodiles.

Surfing the Calendar Family Feud Premieres Jul 12, 1976 Disneyland Opens Jul 17, 1955 Man Walks on the Moon Jul 20, 1969 Amelia Earhart’s Birthday Jul 24, 1897 More Calendar

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