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Gorillas in Our Midst: A Zookeeper’s Tale of Hand-Rearing Baby Gorillas
Step into the fascinating world of Bristol Zoo with Alan Toyne, a dedicated zookeeper and primate expert whose extraordinary story of hand-rearing two baby gorillas will warm your heart
When Afia, a newborn Western Lowland Gorilla, is rejected by her mother Kera after a difficult birth, her human keepers must start the challenging - but rewarding - experience of hand-rearing her themselves. Teaching her the ropes of life in the Gorilla House at Bristol Zoo is tricky enough. But providing 24/7 care for a baby gorilla means Alan must hand-rear Afia in his own home too, an experience that forges a remarkable emotional bond between the two of them over the course of many sleepless nights.
Soon a second baby gorilla, Hasani, is facing rejection from his mother, and Alan and his colleagues must embark on a daring mission to train Kera - now recovered but socially isolated - to become Hasani's surrogate mother. Can she learn to protect and love Hasani as her own, in a way she couldn't for Afia? Can she find her maternal instincts and claim a place within the troop at last?
With a vibrant cast of characters - from the volatile Silverback Jock to the mysterious Sal and the stately Romi - Gorillas in Our Midst offers a unique glimpse into the intricate world of primate social dynamics, in all their complicated, human-like glory. More than just a behind-the-scenes look at zoo life, this thought-provoking and heart-warming memoir is a testament to the enduring bonds between humans and animals, and to the power of resilience and compassion.
When Afia, a newborn Western Lowland Gorilla, is rejected by her mother Kera after a difficult birth, her human keepers must start the challenging - but rewarding - experience of hand-rearing her themselves. Teaching her the ropes of life in the Gorilla House at Bristol Zoo is tricky enough. But providing 24/7 care for a baby gorilla means Alan must hand-rear Afia in his own home too, an experience that forges a remarkable emotional bond between the two of them over the course of many sleepless nights.
Soon a second baby gorilla, Hasani, is facing rejection from his mother, and Alan and his colleagues must embark on a daring mission to train Kera - now recovered but socially isolated - to become Hasani's surrogate mother. Can she learn to protect and love Hasani as her own, in a way she couldn't for Afia? Can she find her maternal instincts and claim a place within the troop at last?
With a vibrant cast of characters - from the volatile Silverback Jock to the mysterious Sal and the stately Romi - Gorillas in Our Midst offers a unique glimpse into the intricate world of primate social dynamics, in all their complicated, human-like glory. More than just a behind-the-scenes look at zoo life, this thought-provoking and heart-warming memoir is a testament to the enduring bonds between humans and animals, and to the power of resilience and compassion.
336 pages, Paperback
Published April 10, 2025
11 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 14, 2025
Gorillas in Our Midst: by Alan Toyne is a Zookeeper’s Tale of Hand-Rearing Baby Gorillas was a wonderful read from the very first few pages. This beautifully book takes you to the fascinating world of Bristol Zoo with Alan Toyne, who is a dedicated zookeeper and primate expert whose extraordinary story of hand-rearing two baby gorillas that will take your breath away.
Afia, is a newborn Western Lowland Gorilla, and so cute! sadly she was rejected by her mother Kera after a difficult birth, her human keepers have to step in to save Afia. This will be a challenging, but will be so rewarding to hand rear her themselves. They will need to teach her the ropes of life in the Gorilla House at Bristol Zoo which can be very tricky. They will need to provide 24/7 care for a baby gorilla this only means that Alan must hand-rear Afia in his own home too. WoW. . . . . They both start to have a remarkable bond between each other and of course many sleepless nights. So sweet.
A second baby gorilla, Hasani, is facing rejection from his mother, Alan and his colleagues must embark on a daring mission to train Kera. Who is now recovered but socially isolated and she has to become Hasani's surrogate mother.
Can she learn to protect and love Hasani as her own, in a way she couldn't for Afia?
Can she find her maternal instincts and claim a place within the troop at last?
This book is so good, it would make a wonderful documentary for the Television, so others can see the wonderful things Alan and his team had done to save these wonderful little ones.
Gorillas in Our Midst: was a beautiful book, that takes you behind-the-scenes look at zoo life, it is full of love and bonds between humans and animals, and to the power of resilience and compassion. A heart-warming memoir and the photos of the Gorilla's are wonderful and so cute.
I highly recommend this book.
Big Thank you to NetGalley and Summersdale for my ARC. I am so glad I had a chance to review this book, a must read if you love to learn more about Gorillas.
Afia, is a newborn Western Lowland Gorilla, and so cute! sadly she was rejected by her mother Kera after a difficult birth, her human keepers have to step in to save Afia. This will be a challenging, but will be so rewarding to hand rear her themselves. They will need to teach her the ropes of life in the Gorilla House at Bristol Zoo which can be very tricky. They will need to provide 24/7 care for a baby gorilla this only means that Alan must hand-rear Afia in his own home too. WoW. . . . . They both start to have a remarkable bond between each other and of course many sleepless nights. So sweet.
A second baby gorilla, Hasani, is facing rejection from his mother, Alan and his colleagues must embark on a daring mission to train Kera. Who is now recovered but socially isolated and she has to become Hasani's surrogate mother.
Can she learn to protect and love Hasani as her own, in a way she couldn't for Afia?
Can she find her maternal instincts and claim a place within the troop at last?
This book is so good, it would make a wonderful documentary for the Television, so others can see the wonderful things Alan and his team had done to save these wonderful little ones.
Gorillas in Our Midst: was a beautiful book, that takes you behind-the-scenes look at zoo life, it is full of love and bonds between humans and animals, and to the power of resilience and compassion. A heart-warming memoir and the photos of the Gorilla's are wonderful and so cute.
I highly recommend this book.
Big Thank you to NetGalley and Summersdale for my ARC. I am so glad I had a chance to review this book, a must read if you love to learn more about Gorillas.
July 29, 2025
I love a book that is a bit different to my usual reads and this was the perfect read. The cover is so cute and I knew I was going to fall in love with this read and I did. This is about a zookeeper at Bristol Zoo having to hand rear a baby gorilla called Afia. I fell in love with Afia straight away. It is a long and slow process but worth it in the end to see a fit and healthy gorilla go and make it in the world. I had never realised how much work a zookeeper would have to put in to look after a baby animal let alone a gorilla. It takes time and Patience and you can tell Alan the zookeeper loves his job very much. It was an eye opening read and one I feel really passionate towards. I think baby gorillas are my new favourite animal now. Thank you Alan for writing about your experience. It means a lot.
April 11, 2025
An excellent read that blends professional insights with heartfelt personal stories. I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of expert perspectives and relatable, often humorous, and sometimes heartbreaking moments. A very engaging and thoughtful book.
October 9, 2025
A lovely heart warming story.
Goes into the realities of being a keeper at a zoo. Very interesting and easy to read. The dedication to the animals is amazing.
Goes into the realities of being a keeper at a zoo. Very interesting and easy to read. The dedication to the animals is amazing.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews