Mushie

Mushie (Born 1969) is a Western Lowland Gorilla who currently residing at Howletts Wild Animal Park, Bekesbourne, Kent, England, U.K. She was born during 1969 in the wild and has resided as Howletts Wild Animal Park since the 25th October 1969. She was visited by Juliette Hughes, a correspondent of the news agency, Eureka Street. Hughes met with Howletts zoological director, Peter Litchfield who took her to meet Mushie, in July 2006. Hughs recounted her experience with Mushie, saying “ Mushie was as close to me as someone sitting next to you on a bus. Then she pushed her leek through the bars to me. I made some sort of pretence of biting it and handed it back, but she was having none of it. Motioning to her mouth she insisted that I taste it. So I took a bite. Again, she gestured. Take another bite. I did, and in a roseate daze of joy handed it back to her. Mushie delicately peeled the outer layers of the leek down to the tender yellow-green middle, took a ladylike nibble and handed it to me once more. Again I tasted.”

Mushie only has one arm, however she continues to live a normal life and is able to cope by using her feet and armpits where a gorilla would usually use there arms, the zoo said in statement commentating Mushie’s 47th birthday, “You may notice from the image that Mushie has one arm – this has never slowed her down! Mushie gets along really well with the other gorillas in her group and never allows her disability to stop her doing things such as climbing and using all of the enclosure similar to all the other members of her family. She’s also very inventive – whereas other gorillas may carry food in their hands, Mushie tends to use her armpit! She also holds her yoghurt pots with her foot, so she can use her hand to scoop out the yoghurt.”

Mushie celebrated her 50th birthday on the 1st May 2019, commentating the event with cake and other food as well as banner wishing her a happy 50th birthday. Mushie continues to be in good health as of early 2020.

Mushie is the second oldest gorilla in the United Kingdom after Old Bob, the oldest female gorilla in the United Kingdom and the oldest gorilla in a British zoo. Mushie is also the third oldest gorilla in Europe after Fatou of Berlin, Germany and Old Bob of Margate, U.K.