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Walking sensation Ambam click photo to watch 

Little more than a month ago gorilla Ambam was an undiscovered talent living a quiet life in his enclosure at Port Lympe Animal Park.

But like the many You Tube sensations before him, all it took was a moment of magic captured on camera to send him to the dizzying heights of stardom.

Since the 20-year-old silverback western lowland gorilla was filmed walking on his hind legs like a human, he has become a global star with the footage viewed across the world almost five million times.

The first 18-second piece of film reached a massive three million views, but after claims the clip was fake, staff at Port Lympe uploaded a second film which has received almost two million hits.

Visitors now flock to the gorilla enclosure at feeding time in the hope of catching the 34-stone beast having a two-legged stroll.

Phil Ridges, head gorilla keeper at the park, which is located near Folkestone, said staff were totally unprepared for the response.

"Ambam has been exhibiting this behaviour his whole life," he said.

"Just days after uploading the clip the phones were ringing off the hook with people wanting to know about Ambam and we were inundated with requests from around the world for interviews and information.

"We have had a lot of speculation that it is a man in a gorilla suit or that he has been trained to do this but Ambam has not been trained in any way, it is just something he chooses and is able to do."

Mr Ridges said there has been more visitors to the gorillas at feeding time.

"Ambam doesn’t seem to know what all the fuss is about," he said.

"While his bipedal tendencies have captured the imagination of people worldwide we are hoping that his fame will have the more serious affect of highlighting the plight of the critically endangered Western lowland gorilla.

"The charity that runs our parks, The Aspinall Foundation, is well known for its work with gorillas both at Howletts and Port Lympne and overseas where we protect over one million acres and reintroduce captive gorillas back to protected areas of the wild."

Footage of Ambam was filmed by animal researcher Johanna Watson while she was working with the University of Manchester on a project about apes.

Mr Ridges said the behaviour was not unusual for the species.

"All gorillas can do it to some extent but we haven’t got any who do it like Ambam and he is quite a celebrity at the park," he said.

"We think he might use it to get a height advantage to look over the wall when keepers come to feed him.

"Standing up can also help him in looking for food generally in his enclosure as it gives him a better vantage point.

"Ambam can also carry a lot more food if he stands and uses both hands, and walking on two feet also means he doesn’t get his hands wet when it is raining."

Visitors to Port Lympne can see Ambam and the rest of his group being scatter fed daily at noon and 3pm.

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The car in which the late Murtala Muhammed, former military head of state, was assassinated 35 years ago has continued to attract an average of 2,000 tourists monthly, from within and outside Nigeria.

The bullet-riddled metallic-black Mercedes Benz 230.6 car is displayed at the 54-year-old National Museum, Onikan, Lagos, alongside other historical national antiques. The late Muhammed was assassinated by renegade soldiers led by Bukar Sukar Dimka on February 13, 1976, after less than seven months in office. He was murdered alongside his Aide-de-Camp, Akintunde Akinsehinwa, opposite the old Federal Secretariat, Obalende, Lagos, as they were heading for Friday prayers.

The curator of the National Museum, Ronke Ashaye, said on Wednesday that the car has continued to attract the highest number of tourists, especially on days shortly before and after the yearly memorial. “During the museum’s peak period, about 3,000 tourists visit the car while 2, 000 visit it at off peak periods,” she said. “The car is placed at the centre of ‘Nigerian Government: Yesterday and Today’ exhibition room. The car was taken into the museum shortly after Muhammed’s assassination. It tells a story of the end of an era. We have been preserving it and many who visit the museum daily request to see it.”

Maintaining the artefacts..

She said that Michelin Tyre Company Ltd had assisted in replacing the tyres of the car periodically. “The tyres are being changed from time to time and the museum officials clean the car daily to preserve it for posterity,” she said, adding that at no point did the authorities attempt to remove the car from the spot. “The gallery where it was initially kept became dilapidated and was closed down before we relocated the car to a new room,” he said. “The gallery became unsafe for visitors and the monument. We have now relocated it to a better place at the back of the museum with the assistance of the Ford Foundation. The car will soon be moved to a more befitting gallery within this premises.”

The well-maintained car has over 20 bullet holes with photographs and write ups on the Nigerian political history from the colonial era to date adorning the room where it is on display. Visitors at the gallery, including two foreigners, Selafsonstein Claudo from Brazil and Ulil Amri from Indonesian, commended the museum for preserving the car.

Meanwhile, Nigerians have called on the government to give Muhammed’s cenotaph at the former Federal Secretariat, Ikoyi, a face lift. The cenotaph, erected by Eti–Osa Local Government, was inaugurated on February 13, 1992, by the then Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida.

A mentally ill woman now inhabits the square located within the precincts of AP filling station, with an auto mechanic workshop at the entrance. “It is an eyesore,” said Biodun Adeseye, a businessman. “Something should be done urgently to restore the cenotaph.”