Zoo in Madagascar loses gorilla glue wig after gorilla dies
The zoo in Madagascar lost a gorilla wig after it was accidentally exposed to a gorilla-specific glue used by zoo staff.
A post on Instagram on Wednesday said the wig was on sale for $20.
Zoo director and head keeper of the zoo in northern Madagascar, Adi Jannet, told Agence France-Presse the wig fell off the head of the male gorilla in a display.
The wig was found by staff during the annual ritual of putting it on and taking off the wig.
“We tried to find out how to fix it, and we found a hole in the wig, and then it was completely destroyed,” Jannets told AFP.
“It is not just the wig that was damaged, but also the whole exhibit.”
Jannette was able to repair the wig with glue and is working on replacing the wig to make it permanent.
Jannett, who was on vacation in Thailand at the time, said the gorilla’s death was a sad day for the zoo, which was established in 1976.
“When you find something that is not going to last, it is sad,” she said.
The incident was caught on camera and posted to Instagram by a woman, who said she had seen the wig fall from the gorilla.
“This is a very tragic incident,” she wrote.
“Thank you for the help.”
Zoo staff said they were not aware of any other incidents at the zoo that could have caused the wig’s damage.
Janneet told AFP the wig had been made from a plastic sheet which was sprayed with gorilla glue.