Federal judge orders gorilla's return to Cincinnati Zoo

A federal judge has again ordered a Bay Area group to return a male silverback gorilla to the Ohio zoo where he was born.|
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

CINCINNATI - A federal judge has again ordered a Bay Area group to return a male silverback gorilla to the Ohio zoo where he was born.

U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg ruled Friday in San Francisco that Redwood City-based Gorilla Foundation must transfer 37-year-old Ndume to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Thursday.

Zoo officials sought to bring Ndume home after Koko, the gorilla famed for learning sign language, died last June and left Ndume by himself. He was loaned to the foundation in 1991 to be Koko's companion with the proviso he'd return to Cincinnati after her death.

The foundation argued as late as this week the transfer would harm Ndume. Zoo officials, animal rights groups and, most importantly, Seeborg disagreed.

Messages seeking comment with the foundation were left Saturday.

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