Captive gorilla population
- Thread starter zooman
- Start date
mstickmanp
Well-Known Member
Well, I don't know if this could help you: Gorillas Galore - Captive Gorilla Lists - Stud Book
This is not what l am looking for.
Numbers of births and deaths and age/sex in a graph format. Would be ideal.
... but they are usually at least two years behind even when they first come out as it takes that long to prepare one.
taun
Well-Known Member
True, but you can get a good idea of where the population is going from this, anyone know where you could get a copy or the studbook keeper?
If you can find the studbook keeper you could always email them nicely and ask for the graphs your after (although they may not be up to date!)
Buckeye092
Well-Known Member
I will have to do a lot of digging but I can try and help. Also most of my information is relative to the US - I'm assuming it's similar in Europe.
About Age Distribution: The population is pretty even distributed between 0 and 52. The extremes (0-5) and (45-52) have larger populations than the median (6-44). The population will decline pretty sharply when the geriatric gorillas begin to pass away (around 30 individuals).
Births that I could Dig Up:
2008:
Artis Zoo: Dayo (M) Born 6-18
Apenhuel Park: Lembo (F) Born 09-03
Calgary: Yewande (F) 05-15
Port Lympe: Tia (F) Born 02-06
Ramat Gan: Unnamed (?) 12-19
San Diego: Frank (M) 09-03
San Francisco: Hasani (M) 12-?
Taronga: Fuzu (M) 12-?
2009:
National: ? (F) 01-10
About Age Distribution: The population is pretty even distributed between 0 and 52. The extremes (0-5) and (45-52) have larger populations than the median (6-44). The population will decline pretty sharply when the geriatric gorillas begin to pass away (around 30 individuals).
Births that I could Dig Up:
2008:
Artis Zoo: Dayo (M) Born 6-18
Apenhuel Park: Lembo (F) Born 09-03
Calgary: Yewande (F) 05-15
Port Lympe: Tia (F) Born 02-06
Ramat Gan: Unnamed (?) 12-19
San Diego: Frank (M) 09-03
San Francisco: Hasani (M) 12-?
Taronga: Fuzu (M) 12-?
2009:
National: ? (F) 01-10
Okay l now have the stats for population in the USA. Yes Hix it is already in a graph 
The mortality rate would also be of use.
Now lookng for the figures for UK and Europe.
All help appreciated.
BTW Columbus is correct. There are less gorilla births happening at the moment.
Not good at phraseing this.
Numbers of females born in the last 5 years is less than any 5 year period for the past 25 years. Not taking into account if wild born were brought in to these figures.
Will keep working on this.
The mortality rate would also be of use.Now lookng for the figures for UK and Europe.
All help appreciated.
BTW Columbus is correct. There are less gorilla births happening at the moment.
Not good at phraseing this.
Numbers of females born in the last 5 years is less than any 5 year period for the past 25 years. Not taking into account if wild born were brought in to these figures.
Will keep working on this.
Very few wildborn Gorillas have entered the captive population in the last 20 years(or more)
The last one I am aware of is the male 'Gugas', born in 1994 and confiscated in Portugal before being sent to Stuttgart for rearing and then sent to Belfast where he still is.
Depends on what you mean by viable.
If you mean a self-sustaining population, then the general Rule-of-Thumb would be 250 pairs. Of course, that would presume that all animals were breeding - which we know does not always happen, for a variety of reasons. So many conservation geneticists suggest 500 pairs.
Note that these numbers are for a self-sustaining population to survive ad infinitum. If you want a population to survive for less time, then you don't need as many animals.
Hix
I believe these are now organised by Apenheul.
taun
Well-Known Member
Frank Rietkerk, Apeldoorn is according to EAZA website
European Association of Zoos and Aquaria - EAZA