Monkey walks on two legs
From correspondents in Jerusalem
July 22, 2004

A YOUNG monkey at an Israeli zoo has started walking like a human following a near death experience, the zoo's veterinarian said today.

Natasha, a small five-year-old black macaque monkey at the Safari Park next to Tel Aviv, began walking exclusively upright on two legs after a stomach ailment nearly killed her, zookeepers said.

Monkeys usually alternate between upright movement and walking on all fours. A picture in the Maariv daily on Wednesday showed Natasha standing ramrod straight like a human. The picture was labelled humorously: The Missing Link?

Two weeks ago, Natasha and three other monkeys were diagnosed with severe stomach flu. At the zoo clinic, she slipped into critical condition, veterinarian Igal Horowitz said.

"I was sure that she was going to die," he said. "She could hardly breathe, and her heart was not functioning properly."