Australasian Western Lowland Gorilla Population

Sam.S said:
Yes it was a bummer, but being my 4th time at the zoo i've been plenty fortunate to be graced by his presence on prior visits!
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It’s anticipated Melbourne will receive new females (likely two) within the next year, so during the settling in phase, there may even be closures to Melbourne’s exhibit. Long term, it’ll lead to a healthier troop structure, so will be a good move in the long run.

Melbourne’s exhibit is fantastic (especially considering it opened in 1990). I liked the multiple view points.
 
Zoofan15 said:
It’s anticipated Melbourne will receive new females (likely two) within the next year, so during the settling in phase, there may even be closures to Melbourne’s exhibit. Long term, it’ll lead to a healthier troop structure, so will be a good move in the long run.

Melbourne’s exhibit is fantastic (especially considering it opened in 1990). I liked the multiple view points.
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I really love the secret viewing glass that's located at the back end of the trail. It's here that Kanzi really loves to hang out; and often comes right up to the glass to interact with whoever is there. I'm not sure why, but I do imagine it's because not many people end up there. And so it's a novelty when people are indeed there!
 
Jambo said:
I really love the secret viewing glass that's located at the back end of the trail. It's here that Kanzi really loves to hang out; and often comes right up to the glass to interact with whoever is there. I'm not sure why, but I do imagine it's because not many people end up there. And so it's a novelty when people are indeed there!
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It’s funny you mention that as on my visit, she noticed a crowd of people there and got so excited she went bi-pedal.

I noticed Kanzi’s bi-pedalism a few times versus other troops in the region whether I’ve never noticed it on my visits. It’s been reported in a number of overseas zoos in both males and females.
 
Zoofan15 said:
It’s anticipated Melbourne will receive new females (likely two) within the next year, so during the settling in phase, there may even be closures to Melbourne’s exhibit. Long term, it’ll lead to a healthier troop structure, so will be a good move in the long run.

Melbourne’s exhibit is fantastic (especially considering it opened in 1990). I liked the multiple view points.
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This is great to hear!

The exhibit is outstanding and always a treat to visit, especially since Im a QLDer and we unfortunately are not spoiled in the Great Ape department.
 
Sam.S said:
This is great to hear!

The exhibit is outstanding and always a treat to visit, especially since Im a QLDer and we unfortunately are not spoiled in the Great Ape department.
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Great Apes are a notable gap in Australia Zoo’s collection. They were planning to exhibit both orangutans and and gorillas in the 2000’s and in 2007, it was even reported construction had begun on an island habitat for gorillas, beginning with a moat being dug out.

These plans were scrapped and it became a melting pot of low-key species now known as ‘Bindi’s Island.’
 
Zoofan15 said:
It’s funny you mention that as on my visit, she noticed a crowd of people there and got so excited she went bi-pedal.

I noticed Kanzi’s bi-pedalism a few times versus other troops in the region whether I’ve never noticed it on my visits. It’s been reported in a number of overseas zoos in both males and females.
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She actually has done this on a few occasions with me there too - I always did think it was just an odd occasion as at other times she hasn't, but she usually runs over to the glass anyhow when she sees people there. Yuska used to join her. Not come right down to the glass - but sit on the hill and watch her interact.
 
Jambo said:
I really love the secret viewing glass that's located at the back end of the trail. It's here that Kanzi really loves to hang out; and often comes right up to the glass to interact with whoever is there. I'm not sure why, but I do imagine it's because not many people end up there. And so it's a novelty when people are indeed there!
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Yes! I have had much success here also, being alone down there and one on one with the troop is always special.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Great Apes are a notable gap in Australia Zoo’s collection. They were planning to exhibit both orangutans and and gorillas in the 2000’s and in 2007, it was even reported construction had begun on an island habitat for gorillas, beginning with a moat being dug out.

These plans were scrapped and it became a melting pot of low-key species now known as ‘Bindi’s Island.’
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Yes I do recall this, unfortunate to be sure. One day...
 
Jambo said:
She actually has done this on a few occasions with me there too - I always did think it was just an odd occasion as at other times she hasn't, but she usually runs over to the glass anyhow when she sees people there. Yuska used to join her. Not come right down to the glass - but sit on the hill and watch her interact.
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Kanzi is certainly more engaged with visitors than the adolescents in Taronga’s troop. Since Yuska was relatively influential in her development at the juvenile stage, I wonder if her hand-raised background (and humanised demeanour) promoted a greater interest in humans from Kanzi.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Kanzi is certainly more engaged with visitors than the adolescents in Taronga’s troop. Since Yuska was relatively influential in her development at the juvenile stage, I wonder if her hand-raised background (and humanised demeanour) promoted a greater interest in humans from Kanzi.
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Or perhaps it's a result of the lack of other infants and 'social' gorillas in the troop that Kanzi's grown up in. It was mainly just Kanzi, her parents and some older females (like Yuska) that served as aunty's to her but didn't often engage in play ect . So it's possible she's just chosen to interact with guests instead.
 
Jambo said:
Or perhaps it's a result of the lack of other infants and 'social' gorillas in the troop that Kanzi's grown up in. It was mainly just Kanzi, her parents and some older females (like Yuska) that served as aunty's to her but didn't often engage in play ect. . So it's possible she interacted with guests instead.
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That’s entirely possible. It was really interesting observing Taronga Zoo’s troop last year. Aside from a scatter feed which brought the whole troop together, the three adolescent males were always together. They seemed very settled as a troop and my impression was the males entertained each other versus precious males like Fataki, who was the only adolescent male in Taronga’s troop under Kibabu’s reign and used to instigate conflicts. As the juvenile males (Fuzu and Mahale) grew, this redirected some of his energy.
 
ApeLadyNZ said:
That's interesting! It's a rare name for gorillas by the sound of things, although it has been used for a chimpanzee here in NZ at Hamilton Zoo! :p
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In fact, I’m not aware of any gorilla ever being called ‘Kendi’.

‘Kendi’ is a Swahili name and while Swahili names have been readily given to Western lowland gorillas the world over, I note the overlap of countries that speak Swahili (the official language of Kenya and Tanzania) with countries inhabited by Western lowland is relatively weak - with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (of which approximately 10% of their population speak Swahili) believed to hold remnant populations of Western lowland gorillas.

I have however found examples of giraffes and rhinos named ‘Kendi’ throughout zoos worldwide.
 
Zoofan15 said:
In fact, I’m not aware of any gorilla ever being called ‘Kendi’.

‘Kendi’ is a Swahili name and while Swahili names have been readily given to Western lowland gorillas the world over, I note the overlap of countries that speak Swahili (the official language of Kenya and Tanzania) with countries inhabited by Western lowland is relatively weak - with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (of which approximately 10% of their population speak Swahili) believed to hold remnant populations of Western lowland gorillas.

I have however found examples of giraffes and rhinos named ‘Kendi’ throughout zoos worldwide.
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That's very interesting! It would make the name quite unique for great apes - also, the name appears to have been chosen to keep the mother's initial names tradition going (in this case, both parents' names begin with a K), a theme that seems to have been abandoned in NZ zoos. (Mogo is the zoo with the male infant who was hand-reared for a time named Kaius, if I remember correctly!)
 
ApeLadyNZ said:
That's very interesting! It would make the name quite unique for great apes - also, the name appears to have been chosen to keep the mother's initial names tradition going (in this case, both parents' names begin with a K), a theme that seems to have been abandoned in NZ zoos. (Mogo is the zoo with the male infant who was hand-reared for a time named Kaius, if I remember correctly!)
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Yes, Mogo Zoo is also home to Kaius.

This is their troop:

0.1 G-Ann (08/06/1979) Imported 1997
1.0 Kisane (18/08/2006) Imported 2019
0.1 Kriba (09/08/1979) Imported 1996
0.1 Kipenzi (14/01/2011) Kibabu x Kriba
1.0 Kaius (21/10/2022) Kisane x Kipenzi
0.1 Kendi (09/02/2025) Kisane x Kipenzi
 
Zoofan15 said:
Yes, Mogo Zoo is also home to Kaius.

This is their troop:

0.1 G-Ann (08/06/1979) Imported 1997
1.0 Kisane (18/08/2006) Imported 2019
0.1 Kriba (09/08/1979) Imported 1996
0.1 Kipenzi (14/01/2011) Kibabu x Kriba
1.0 Kaius (21/10/2022) Kisane x Kipenzi
0.1 Kendi (09/02/2025) Kisane x Kipenzi
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I would like to see the young Melbourne female transferred to Mogo!
 
ApeLadyNZ said:
That's interesting! It's a rare name for gorillas by the sound of things, although it has been used for a chimpanzee here in NZ at Hamilton Zoo! :p
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Zoofan15 said:
In fact, I’m not aware of any gorilla ever being called ‘Kendi’.

‘Kendi’ is a Swahili name and while Swahili names have been readily given to Western lowland gorillas the world over, I note the overlap of countries that speak Swahili (the official language of Kenya and Tanzania) with countries inhabited by Western lowland is relatively weak - with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (of which approximately 10% of their population speak Swahili) believed to hold remnant populations of Western lowland gorillas.

I have however found examples of giraffes and rhinos named ‘Kendi’ throughout zoos worldwide.
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Regionally, it too is also the name of Dubbo's youngest hippo!

I had hoped that some other names mentioned in the initial comment section of Keeper Chad's post would have won. There were a few very unique names. Although I'm still glad they're continuing the naming trend in this instance - Kendi is still a great choice meaning 'loved one' in Swahili.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Yes, Mogo Zoo is also home to Kaius.

This is their troop:

0.1 G-Ann (08/06/1979) Imported 1997
1.0 Kisane (18/08/2006) Imported 2019
0.1 Kriba (09/08/1979) Imported 1996
0.1 Kipenzi (14/01/2011) Kibabu x Kriba
1.0 Kaius (21/10/2022) Kisane x Kipenzi
0.1 Kendi (09/02/2025) Kisane x Kipenzi
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Thanks for this information! Also, according to this, Kipenzi, Kaius and Kendi are related to Fataki and Fuzu at Orana Wildlife Park!
 
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