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Port Lympne Animal Park western lowland gorilla Ambam from Hythe who became famous for video of him walking like a man celebrates birthday

11:00, 15 April 2014

Ambam, the world famous walking gorilla, has been celebrating his 24th birthday with a specially baked cake.

The western lowland gorilla lives at the Port Lympne Wild Animal park near Hythe. He is possibly the most famous gorilla since King Kong after a video of him walking like a human went viral on the internet in 2011.

He has become known the world over after the video which showed him walking like a man.

Ambam tucks into his birthday cake
Ambam tucks into his birthday cake

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It has attracted over 5.9 millions views on You Tube and he has also featured on Channel 4's Rude Tube.

Ambam weighs 220kg and has learnt how to stand fully upright, which is uncommon among other western lowland gorillas.

And it seems his sister Tamba and her two-year-old son Kabale have been picking up some tips. They too have also mastered standing and walking on two legs.

He is one of 20 gorillas at Port Lympne near Hythe
He is one of 20 gorillas at Port Lympne near Hythe
Ambam became known around the world over for his walking exploits
Ambam became known around the world over for his walking exploits

This Monday though he was celebrating his birthday in style.

His cake was made especially for him by Lynsey Mclean, owner of SugarRush Baking Company in Hastings.

She said: "I was delighted to be asked to bake a birthday cake for Ambam and had a lot of fun designing it."

Phil Ridges, Head of Gorillas at the park adds: "All gorillas have the ability to stand upright to some degree although they often choose not to, but Ambam and his sister have a particular talent at standing and walking completely upright on two legs."

The cake was made specifically for Ambam by Lynsey Mclean of SugarRush in Hastings
The cake was made specifically for Ambam by Lynsey Mclean of SugarRush in Hastings

Ambam is one of 20 gorillas at the park living in the Planet of the Apes. They are a critically endangered species in the wild with numbers falling by more than 60% over the last 20 years.

This has been down to hunting, habitat changes and disease.

The park - which is run by the Aspinall Foundation who also run Howletts near Canterbury - has been working on a project called 'Back to the Wild' which last year saw a family of gorillas from Kent return to the wild.

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