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Soviet Women Volunteer to Carry Half Ape Baby

New Scientist has an article on a forgotten Russian experiment to produce an ape/man mix.

In November, Ivanov returned to Guinea, captured his chimps and with considerable difficulty eventually inseminated three of them. By now, he had a second experiment in mind: to inseminate women with chimp sperm. Knowing that no local woman would agree, he planned to do this under the pretext of a medical examination, but the French governor forbade it.

None of the three chimps conceived. Disappointed, Ivanov headed home with 20 chimps to stock a new ape nursery in the subtropical Soviet republic of Abkhazia. He knew now that his best chance of creating his hybrid was to find Soviet women willing to carry half-ape babies in the interests of science. In the event, only four chimps made it to Abkhazia and so while the nursery set about acquiring more apes, Ivanov looked for volunteers.

At least five women volunteered. But although the nursery did get hold of an assortment of apes, they never flourished, and by the time Ivanov was ready to proceed the only adult male left was Tarzan, a 26-year-old orang-utan. Ivanov pressed on until fate dealt his project a fatal blow. Tarzan had a brain haemorrhage. "The orang has died, we are looking for a replacement," Ivanov cabled the woman he had lined up to receive Tarzan's sperm. More chimps arrived in 1930 - but Ivanov fell victim to the widespread purge of scientists and was exiled to Kazakhstan. He was released the next year but died soon after.

Read the entire article here.

Man Confronted By Ape In Zoo Parking Lot

Man gets free one day pass for zoo after he's bitten by a Gibbon in the parking lot. You would think a bite like that would be worth at least a t-shirt and a free drink.

A first-time trip to the Cincinnati Zoo ended up being one to remember for a Louisville, Ky., visitor before he even made it to the entrance.

In the parking lot, Noel Green came face to face with a white-handed gibbon named Euell.

Zoo spokesman Chad Yelton says that the 37-year-old member of the ape family got out of the Jungle Trails exhibit by swinging from branch to branch from tree to tree, and eventually made it several hundred feet from the exhibit and into the parking lot.

That's where Green and Euell came across each other.

Yelton says Euell bit Green on the leg while the man was trying to keep the animal from getting hurt.

Something some visitors say they would never attempt.

"I would not try to stop a gibbon it would just be too crazy. That's nuts why would someone stop a monkey?" said Tony Bermea of Maineville.

Euell's bite wasn't severe enough to break skin and Green continued on with his visit.
Some zoo visitors made it a point to keep their distance at the Jungle Trails exhibit.

"They just seemed to be looking at us like staring at the people a little more. I noticed a few times they were looking like 'what are you doing here?' (chuckle) So we kept our distance and kept walking," said Jennifer Hart of Loveland.

The zoo spokesman says they gave Green a free pass for another visit.

Click here for story

Marvel Apes

Marvel Comics is doing a limited series that recasts all their most popular characters as apes. It's due out in early Sept, and you can see other art for it here.

Grate Ape, Ape Made From Plastic Bags

Powered by air blowing up through the grating, this sculpture is made from recycled plastic bags.

Mego Presents Planet of the Apes

Planet of the Apes action figure television ads from 1975. The bad sound synch makes it even better.

Koko meets Mr. Rogers

Koko is a world famous gorilla who learned sign language. One of her heroes was popular children's show host Mr. Rogers. Koko.org has a record of what happened when they met.

Penny: Hi, Koko. We have a visitor.
Koko: Koko-love.
Mister Rogers: Hello Koko. Hi Koko...

Koko purrs and signs Koko-love and hurry as Penny unlocks her room gate, and she opens the gate herself as soon as it is unlocked. Koko first looks in the tote bag Mister Rogers brought and finds a stuffed Daniel Tiger toy. She puts the bag and toy down, holds Mister Rogers’ hand to her lips, and smells his hand. She pulls him close and touches his face gently. Then she unceremoniously unzips Mister Rogers’ trademark cardigan sweater.

P: You know how to work a zipper. Very good.
Koko holds Mister Rogers’ hands, studies his tie, and then takes him by the hand and leads him into her room.
P: Show Mister Rogers your room. Oh, good idea.

Koko removes Mister Rogers’ sweater, checks his mouth for gold teeth, and then invites him to "chase" her around the room. She blows a few notes on the harmonica he brought, and spends quite some time taking pictures with his camera.

Read the rest here 

Largest Primate Ever

Gigantopithecus blackii became extinct over 100,000 years ago. It co-existed with humans and was over 10 feet tall and weighed up to 1200 lbs.   

Florida Town Overcome by Apes?

Glen St. Mary, Florida has been reporting late night screeching and ape sightings. Is this an escaped ape or is this possibly a group of apes doing exploratory work into how easy it would be to take over an American city?

Luckily, the city knows exactly how to deal with it. Jelly donuts. From a news report:

Some believe the mysterious animal is an orangutan -- one local family had found what looked to be an orange ape up high in a tree.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigator who answered the original complaint call on the orange ape said there was definitely something up in the top of the tree, but he really couldn't be sure what it was.
He said he took a pack of jelly donuts and left it at the bottom of the tree, hoping to lure the creature to the ground.
He said he hasn't heard anything since.
"The next morning, the people came out and it was, it was gone," Lawson said.

Grape Ape Opening Credits

The Great Grape Ape Show
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