Nobody puts ape-y in the corner! Dancing gorilla Kionda shows off his 'ballet' moves

  • Visitors were given much more than they bargained for at Devon's Paignton Zoo
  • Kionda, a 15-year-old ape, was spotted gliding through the air of his enclosure
  • The confident gorilla treated staff and punters to an impromptu dance routine

By ALEXANDER ROBERTSON FOR MAILONLINE

Published: | Updated:

A day at the zoo can be an underwhelming experience at times, with crowds battling to the front of an enclosure to spot the slightest hint of the beast hidden inside.

However visitors were given much more than they bargained for at Paignton Zoo, where they were treated to a 'ballet' performance by its resident gorilla.

Kionda, a 15-year-old ape, was spotted by punters as he glided through the air of his enclosure at the Devon zoo.

So impressed were staff that they decided to catch the confident gorilla's move on camera.
The gorilla was at ease in front of the large crowds

Kionda was spotted by punters as he glided through the air of his enclosure at the Devon zoo

So impressed were staff that they decided to catch the confident gorilla's move on camera.

The self-assured ape has previous when it comes to entertaining the crowds, after he was spotted pirouetting inside his enclosure in September of last year.

A spokesperson for the zoo said: 'Being a bit of a show-off, Kiondo often displays by splashing water from the lake, then pulling up tufts of grass and throwing them.

'This photo caught him as he jumped in the air whilst throwing grass.

'Though clearly light on his feet, Kiondo is a little hefty to be a ballet dancer - he weighs in at 186 kilos.

Kionda, a 15-year-old ape, was previously spotted playing up to crowds in September of last year

Kionda, a 15-year-old ape, was previously spotted playing up to crowds in September of last year

'He came to Paignton Zoo from Stuttgart Zoo in 2006 - he was born on 11 October 2002.

'The charity's bachelor group of Western lowland gorillas - a critically endangered species - plays a vital role in international gorilla conservation, providing somewhere for young males to grow up in a social environment.

'Some may move on to be the dominant males in bachelor or family groups in other collections as part of the European breeding programme.'

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