Koko the gorilla rocks out on bass

Famed American Sign Language-using gorilla Koko showed off a new skill — playing bass during a visit with Flea from The Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

A video posted to Facebook by Flea shows Koko, The Gorilla Foundation’s 45-year-old western lowland gorilla famed for her skills in ASL, strumming the bass guitar while hanging out with the rock star.

Koko, apparently dissatisfied with the instrument’s tuning, adjusts the knobs before continuing her jam session.

“Koko rocks a flea bass like it ain’t nuthin,” Flea wrote in the Facebook post.

The Gorilla Foundation said Flea presented Koko with her very own bass autographed by the musician.

Dog lover spends £4,000 on pet birthday party

Helen Turner, from Burnley, Lancs has shelled out more than £4,000 on a birthday party for her dogs.

The pooches, Mollycoddled mutts, Salvador and Purdy were treated to a no-expense-spared bash — complete with a clown, face painting, three doggy birthday cakes and even a dwarf.

The Chihuahuas were joined by their three doggy siblings and other pooch pals and the special occasion cost nearly 10 times the average children’s birthday party.

The extravagant shindig makes up just a fraction of the staggering £24,000 a year Helen, who runs a dog grooming in Barnoldswick, already splashes out on her eight pampered pooches.

“I chose a Mexican theme because that’s where Chihuahuas originate from, so it was like I was taking them back to their roots. I spent months planning everything, so it was great to see it all come together.”

Helen will be throwing her next doggy party at the salon in support of charity Animal Aid’s Wetnose Day, to raise money for sick and vulnerable animals.

Stop! Alligator crossing!

An Alabama man travelling on a busy mobile street captured the video of a young alligator stopping traffic with a casual walk across the road.

Travis Willard posted a video on Facebook showing the small gator crossing the eastbound lanes of Battleship Parkway, commonly known as the Causeway.

The video shows a car pull up next to Willard and also stop to allow the alligator to make it all the way across the road.

Willard said the bold gator “just came across the road in front of us like it owned the place.”

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 24th, 2016