Ballet-dancing gorilla struts his stuff

Western lowland gorilla Kiondo is a bit of a show-off. He lives at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park in Devon and often displays by splashing water from the lake, then pulling up tufts of grass and throwing them. This photo captured him as he jumped in the air while throwing grass.

Though clearly light on his feet, the 15-year-old is a little hefty to be a ballet dancer, weighing in at 186 kilos.

We're not sure if this is an échappé, and entrechat or a jeté. Fortunately neither is Kiondo Credit: Paignton Zoo

Born on 11 October 2002, Kiondo came to Paignton Zoo from Stuttgart Zoo in 2006 and has joined the charity's bachelor group of Western lowland gorillas.

The species is critically endangered and the group plays a key role in international conservation. The zoo allows the gorillas to grow up in a social environment before possibly moving on to become dominant males in other collections.

  • Find out more about Paignton Zoo's gorillas on its website