Desktop gorillas for zookeeper wannabes

The new game is being launched by ZSL London Zoo to celebrate the launch of Gorilla Kingdom, and recreates the behaviour and feeding patterns of real gorillas. Virtual keepers who download an interactive ape will have three weeks to rear a baby gorilla through to its teenage years and on to a strong and healthy silverback, says the zoo. Players must feed them, keep them entertained, put them to sleep and clean them up to gain the highest score – and the zoo says that the more closely keepers stick to the routine recommended by real zoo keepers, the less grumpy their gorilla will be. The three highest scorers at the end of three months win the opportunity to meet the real thing. Says ZSL’s web editor Daniel Sprawson: “It was a real challenge to develop a game that could educate and also be entertaining. Our aim was also to drive people to the website and promote our conservation work. Working with The Lemon Foundation we think we have struck the perfect balance.” Desktop Gorilla can be downloaded at www.zsl.org/desktopgorilla from July 16th.