The price of freedom: Thailand's last gorilla stuck in the horror zoo

The Pata Zoo on the roof of a dingy shopping centre in Bangkok is often dubbed the "saddest zoo in the world". It is home to Bua Noi, Thailand's only gorilla. Photos: Carola Frentzen/dpa

Bua Noi lies listlessly in the far corner of her enclosure, surrounded by concrete, bars and thick glass, with only a few ropes and a car tire for distraction during her 30-year confinement.

But the crowd of visitors at the privately run Pata Zoo on the roof of an old Bangkok mall wants to see more of the female gorilla. An employee lures Bua Noi ("Little Lotus") with a sachet of milk.