Settling in: Twelve-year-old male gorilla, Yeboah, has moved to London ZooAs he clutches a pile of nuts in one of his huge hands, it is clear Yeboah's bachelor lifestyle has taken a toll on his manners.
The 20-stone adolescent gorilla is supposed to be winning the attentions of three new female companions.
But, perhaps not surprisingly for a teenage boy, nothing was going to come between him and his food yesterday.
Yeboah, though he doesn't quite appear to realise it yet, has been handed a dream job.
All he has to do is eat, sleep, listen to music and hang around with some lovelorn girlies. Anytime he fancies a spot of monkey business, he can pick any one of them.
After years in a bachelor pad with only another male for company, its fair to say he doesn't know a great deal about sharing.
But sheer animal appeal seemed to be doing the trick yesterday as he was allowed to mingle with all three females at once for the first time since arriving at London Zoo in November. He has one crucial mission - to be a stud.
The girls had already been shown a photograph of the hunky 12-year-old and seem to have found him rather tasty. So tasty, in fact, that one of them ate the picture.
Mingling with the locals: French gorilla Yeboah, left, with Effie, one of his three female mates
Feast for a beast: Yeboah enjoys a mix of monkey nuts, cranberries and home-made popcornWhen they met him for the first time, it appears, he lived up to all their expectations.
There was his physique, of course - 6ft 6in of rippling muscle and not an ounce of fat. Then there was that sexy walk - big, confident strides, and knuckles dragging lightly on the ground.
Top that with a French accent from his time at La Boissiere-du-Dore zoo in western France, and it was l'amour at first sight.
Gallic charm: The French gorilla is said to have a 'gentle nature' and 'good manners'Yeboah, who is a young teenager in human terms, is destined to fill the gap left when the girls' long-time partner Bobby died last year.
He will soon assume the role of dominant male in the group, developing a distinctive patch of silver hair that will transform him into a fully-fledged silverback. When fully mature, he will weigh around 30stone.
Yesterday he appeared at his first formal photocall with Effie, 16, Mjukuu, 11, and Zaire, 35. He was coaxed into the open with a trail of monkey nuts, cranberries and home-made popcorn laid by zoo-keeper Daniel Simmonds. Then it was back inside for a spot of fruit tea and an afternoon snooze.
'It's a life of five-star luxury,' Mr Simmonds told me. 'He's given the best food, the best care, and he's dating three girls at once.
'His quarters are heated to 25C in the winter and air-conditioned in the summer. We play him classical music so he can chill out. It's a superb quality of life - probably better than mine, actually.'
The name Yeboah is African, and said by the zoo to be a tribute to Ghanaian footballer Tony Yeboah, a former Leeds United star and one of the most prolific and spectacular goal scorers in African history.
The gorilla's job description primarily involves mating with the girls to produce some offspring. It means he will quickly have to change from boy to man - and he's already making a flying start.
Mjukuu has become his devoted companion and the slender Effie has already succumbed to his charms. Zaire, who has no doubt seen it all before, is biding her time.
source: dailymail
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