Howletts Wild Animal Park Gorilla groups/families - how many are there?

Willard

Willard

Well-Known Member
Hello,

does anyone know how many gorilla groups there are currently at Howletts? Jim Davis' studbook at Gorillas Galore - Captive Gorilla Lists - Stud Book lists almost 50 individuals, but it's hard to get an idea of who lives with whom (i.e. their family structure).

I've been making family trees for zoo gorilla groups all over Europe (and beyond) - here is the set at Flickr: Gorilla Family Trees - a set on Flickr - and would like to make one (or more) for Howletts.

Any contribution to, and insight information on the gorilla families would be very much appreciated!

My email is willard@wolke7.net

Willard
 
Hi Willard, welcome to ZooChat - I think we know each other's work from Flickr.
There are 5 gorilla groups at Howletts, but only 3 are breeding currently. In order of distance from the entrance they are:
  1. Kijo's former group, which still has his last infants so we presume that they waiting until these grow before introducing a new male
  2. Kifu's group, which is breeding (Kifu is Kijo's son)
  3. Bitam's former group, the oldest females (Baby Doll, Juju and Mouila) which live in the oldest and smallest of the gorilla houses (it's been over a year since I visited Howletts so I am not sure how many juveniles still live with them)
  4. Kouillou's group, which includes the youngest infant born to Tamba in August, in the original gorillarium
  5. Djanghou's group, the most recently formed, in the enclosure previously occupied by Bitam's group
The gorillas in these groups are related to the ones in the bachelor groups and the breeding group at Port Lympne, where Djala is the breeding male. Djanghou is Djala's oldest son.
Hope this helps. I'm sure other people can add further details.

Alan
 
Hi Alan,

of course I know you from Flickr, thank you so much for replying and listing the groups, that is a big help! The rest I think I'll be able to figure out with the studbook. I will post the links here when I've made the family trees - which might take me a while though.

The Aspinalls have been doing a really good job, and one day I hope I can visit both zoos/parks.

Willard
 
Here are the names of animals in the various Howletts groups which Alan has listed above;

Kijo group(Kijo is dead now- currently no adult male)
Mushie/Shumba/Juma/Dihi/Bitono/Jah/Loulou/Popa/Joshi/Kiju.

Kifu group; Sidonie/Tebe/Sangha/Tambabi/Kifu/Bamilla/Kifta/Ebeki/Oundi

Bitam group(Bitam is dead; no male); Mouila/BabyDoll/Juju/Imbi/Shasha/Bitanu.

Kouillou Group; Kouillou/Tamba/Matibi/Jubi/Mambi/Emba/Otana/MahMah/Baloo/Imbizo/Boula/Mumbou.

Djanghou Group; Djanghou/Boma/Kwimba/Sanki/Kimba2/Tamidol/Kidiki/Masindi/Kisane/Nkoumou/Affy. + new baby born August(mother Tamba)

Djala Group(at Port Lympne);
Djala/Mumba/Kishi/Tamki/Emmie/Kibi/FouFou/Yene/Mwambe/Djongo/Louna/Mayumba.+ 2(?) new babies born earlier this year.

This was correct (afaik) at the beginning of 2011. 'Gorillas Galore' will give you all the sexes, birthdates and parentages, as you are aware.

Finally, welcome to Zoochat! I have also seen your Gorilla family trees on Flickr too.;)
 
Willard said:
Hello,

does anyone know how many gorilla groups there are currently at Howletts? Jim Davis' studbook at Gorillas Galore - Captive Gorilla Lists - Stud Book lists almost 50 individuals, but it's hard to get an idea of who lives with whom (i.e. their family structure).

I've been making family trees for zoo gorilla groups all over Europe (and beyond) - here is the set at Flickr: Gorilla Family Trees - a set on Flickr - and would like to make one (or more) for Howletts.

Any contribution to, and insight information on the gorilla families would be very much appreciated!

My email is willard@wolke7.net

Willard
Click to expand...

Love your work Willard!
 
Hi Pertinax,

thank you very much, I appreciate a lot! I've just started to make the tree for Djanghou's group, and apart from the usual problem - not enough space for all related individuals - Jim Davis' site (Gorillas Galore) does not tell which group at Howletts they belong to. Now I know!

(It would be nice to see ALL Howletts & PL members in ONE large tree, but that's just impossible on a regular sized sheet of paper.)

I cannot contribute any photos myself to ZooChat, but I'd like to be in touch with like-minded people, especially those who are familiar with gorillas and gorilla families living in zoos.

Thanks again,
Willard
 
Hi Willard,

I'm loving your work, is it just gorillas that you do this for? I would love to see this done with Chester's current Sumatran orang-utan family, would you ever consider it? If not, would you mind if I used a similar layout/format to do it?

Kind regards :)
 
Hi Javan,

I've been making those family trees for gorillas only. I like orangutans very much, actually more than the other great apes, but am quite busy with my favorite primates, sorry. The trees were done with Word for Windows, and of course you can use a similar layout - I don't own the copyright. If you need any help, or want me to send you the original Word file of one of the trees (as a template for yours) please contact me at willard@wolke7.net

Kind regards,
Willard :)
 
john said:
Djimu is an interesting male for breeding.
Any chances in that?
Click to expand...

Djimu is currently one of the 'Big Five' (oldest) male group at Port Lympne- they are scheduled to go as an entire group to Rhenen Zoo when the enclosure is done.

The group at Howletts without a male at present is Kijo's and as Djimu is Kijo's son and so related to most others in that group too, he wouldn't be suitable. They seem to have now sent away (or be sending in the case of the 5) all the other older males not related to Kijo and this group, apart from the single silverback 'Timbou' (Bitam x Mouila). He lives alone so when the time comes, perhaps it might be him?
 
But what about the legacy of Djoum?

As far as known to me Djimu is the one with some of Djoum's genes. And Juma is getting older and at the moment out of the position of reproducing.
I don't say Djimu's place must be the Aspinall's - it could be somewhere else.
 
john said:
But what about the legacy of Djoum?

As far as known to me Djimu is the one with some of Djoum's genes. And Juma is getting older and at the moment out of the position of reproducing.
I don't say Djimu's place must be the Aspinall's - it could be somewhere else.
Click to expand...

I agree Djoum is not well represented, having very few descendents. I can only assume the grandson Djimu hasn't (so far) been identified as a priority male for breeding elsewhere, though Howletts might not want to split him from the group of 5 if they are to leave sometime soon. However, if they ever reach Rhenen maybe be things might change for him in future?
 
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