Charity runner in gorilla suit mistaken for actual ape

Published: Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:18:51

A fun runner in a fancy dress ape costume was stopped by Leicester police during a sponsored run after being mistaken for a real gorilla. Motorists had placed calls to Leicestershire Police after seeing what they believed to be an escaped simian on the loose by the side of the A6. In fact, the ape was 45-year-old Rory Coleman, who was taking part in a 143-mile run from Mansfield to London on behalf of the Gorilla Organization charity as one of 600 gorilla-suited athletes.

However, once the police got up close, they realised that the beast was not the zoo escapee they had taken him for. Mr Coleman told the Telegraph: ''I think they twigged it wasn't an actual gorilla when they saw I was wearing trainers and had a rucksack on my back." The officers in question subsequently gave Mr Coleman a donation and let him continue on his way.

Ape-suited runners have been taking part in the Great Gorilla Run since 2003, with proceeds going towards helping endangered mountain gorillas. Have you ever been fooled by a convincing costume?

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