London Going Ape

You can’t beat a good gorilla. He’s King of the Jungle (when there are no lions around), the Daddy of all apes, our closest relative in the Animal Kingdom and pretty nifty on the drums (if Cadbury’s adverts are anything to go by). As a girl, my favourite pair of slippers were huge, furry gorilla feet, and the lovable mammals are still one of the top attractions at London Zoo. So why aren’t we more concerned about their numbers dwindling? Only about 700 Mountain Gorillas live in the wild, with even less Cross-River Gorillas surviving; unless we do something to help, they are at risk of becoming extinct in their natural habitat.

As you know, we’d usually be encouraging you to take a taxi in London on your daily excursions, but this Saturday, we think you should get on your feet instead -- in a great big gorilla costume. The 24th September marks 2011’s Great Gorilla Run, raising much needed charity money for our hairy friends. The run is 7 kilometers along some of the most picturesque routes in London, including Southbank and Tower Bridge. It’s essential to register first if you want to take part, and you even get to keep the Gorilla costume afterwards!

If you don’t think you can manage running that far, you can still help out by sponsoring one of the teams or participants. Feel free to watch too; it’s free to line the routes and cheer them on. You may never again get the chance to see a thousand gorillas running through the streets of London, many in even more fancy dress than the ape costume, so don’t miss your chance! Previous years have seen gorilla versions of Julius Caesar, cheerleaders, pirates, nijas and even Charlie Chaplin. Bizarre and brilliant. Look out for London going ape this weekend.