Howletts Wild Animal Park Howletts Gorillas update

Pertinax

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Has anyone been to Howletts in recent months?

I'm interested to know if the Gorillas in the kitchen garden area(older cages) have been moved around at all.

Bitam's group occupied the furthest Gorillarium, but since Bitam died over a year ago, his very small group of the very oldest females(Mouila, Baby Doll and Juju) plus Juju's latest offspring,'Bitanu' have been still living in it.

Kouillou's group had the other Gorillarium. The youngest Djanghou's group were living in the oldest run of cages.

I was wondering if they have changed them over at all, to give Djangou's group more room, or by now perhaps even added the 3 old females into one of the other two groups?

Anyone?
 
I don't know the answer to your question but there is a good forum on the Howletts and Port Lympne website.
totallywild.net :: Childrens Forum :: Index

The forum has various sections including a section for keeper questions, and the keepers do respond to questions (and there is a birth's section also where some births are posted).
 
Has anyone got any idea how the gorillas born at Howletts then sent to Africa are getting on? Its been a while since they went over and there was a link on the website to a diary informing us on how they were getting on. This though hasn't been updated in nearly a year now so didn't know if anyone had gathered anythin from chats with keepers or any other sources of info
 
Female Gorilla to be exported to Indonesia

Zoo News Digest , number 566 , reports that Ranungun Zoo is to receive a 7/8 year old femal gorilla from Howletts . She will be sent to join the 3 males Kumbo , Kiki and Komum who were sent from Howletts in 2002 . ( I thought 4 were originally sent ) .

In exchange Howletts will receive 12 Indonesian primates - 10 already sent - with the final 2 after the gorilla has been received .

I think Howletts has received a number of female grizzled langurs , more moloch gibbons and the pair of Tonkean macaques in the last year - presumably these are all part of the exchange . Anybody know more about this deal ?
 
Zoo News Digest , number 566 , reports that Ranungun Zoo is to receive a 7/8 year old femal gorilla from Howletts . She will be sent to join the 3 males Kumbo , Kiki and Komum who were sent from Howletts in 2002 . ( I thought 4 were originally sent ) .

In exchange Howletts will receive 12 Indonesian primates - 10 already sent - with the final 2 after the gorilla has been received .

I wonder which female Gorilla it will be.

There were indeed 4 males sent to Ranungun. Presumably one has died. Maybe they now want to try making up a breeding pair. The previous Howletts head Gorilla keeper works there (or he did).

I hope the last two Indonesian primates in the exchange prove to be more Tonkean macaques. A single pair seems not much of a start for breeding.
 
Does anyone know the exact numbers and sex of grizzled langurs and moloch gibbons as part of the exchange deal?

Please note that the Jakarta deal is commensurate with 3 staff from Jakarta Zoo staying for 3 months at Port Lympne for training in gorilla management. I would hope this will entail further regular exchanges and promoting good husbandry skills and zoo management for Jakarta Zoo. The BOS association is partial sponsor/owner with Port Lympne of the Primate Center. Just recently, they were updating the orang utan exhibits too ...!!!
 
Latest Gorilla Birth

The website reports a recent birth of a female baby to Foufou(16) in Djala's group at Port Lympne - her third after Yene(8) and M'Passa(5) . There are now 25 gorillas at Port Lympne and 72 between the 2 collections .

Three hand-reared babies , including Tiya featured on 'Roar' were transferred to Gabon in the summer .
 
Various articles about Ranungun Zoo in Zoo News Digest this week - generally critical , particularly the bad conditions most of the orang utans live in .

There is also mention of the planned export of a female gorilla from Howletts and the male gorillas already there . Kijoum ,the youngest of the 4 male gorillas sent from Howletts in 2002 , died in 2008 from a stress-related stomach illness .
 
I'm interested to know if the Gorillas in the kitchen garden area(older cages) have been moved around at all.

Bitam's group occupied the furthest Gorillarium, but since Bitam died over a year ago, his very small group of the very oldest females(Mouila, Baby Doll and Juju) plus Juju's latest offspring,'Bitanu' have been still living in it.

As far as I know (if you are talking about the enbclosure furthest from the entrance) a group of older females were moved into that enclosure, one then to their supprise gave birth. As they now had a group without a dominant male I think they moved some around and created a new group in that enclosure with the older females, a new silver back and a few other younger females. I don't know if this is 100% what has happened but I frequently go to the park and this is what I peiced together from my visits :)
 
As they now had a group without a dominant male I think they moved some around and created a new group in that enclosure with the older females, a new silver back and a few other younger females. I don't know if this is 100% what has happened

None of the above happened. I have revisited there since I asked the question- what happened was a straight enclosure swap a few months ago- a coupl of juveniles have been added to the group of old females, but that's all.
 
Hmm well I think it was mentioned on Roar but maybe I got it wrong :)

There is a silver back in that group though as I did a behaviour study on the group. Clearly as you say it was an enclosure swap not adding a new group as I thought. Wonder where the females went then because I know that there are silver backs in each group there.
 
Hmm well I think it was mentioned on Roar but maybe I got it wrong :)

Wonder where the females went then because I know that there are silver backs in each group there.

The group in that Gorillarium now is Djanghou's, himself plus six/seven females and a couple of young.

The old females that were in Bitam's group now live in the oldest cages. There is no adult male in their group.
 
2 baby gorillas born at howletts and port lympne

A baby born at howletts on 8th april 2009 who is a male baby born to Djanghou and Boma at the old gorilla enclosures at the back of the park.This is Djanghous 5th offspring and is only 16 years old and this baby rises the group to 10 gorillas.And finally a baby was born at port lympne on 25th april 2009 to Djala 27 years old and Mumba 22 years old it is now only 3 weeks old and does not have a name yet but will do soon. THANKS FOR READING!!!!!!!!!
 
Future of Kijo's group.

If Dihi, one of the older females in what was 'Kijo's group' is pregnant, they certainly won't be considering introducing a new male at present. So this group is likely to remain without a male for some time to come.

Taun mentioned that the bachelor males at Port Lympne were born at Howletts, which is correct, but most of them were fathered by Bitam, so are not related to Kijo or any of his group. Only 'Kush' & 'Djimu' were born in Kijo's group so wouldn't qualify,while Mataki is also more distantly related also. But when the time comes there are(currently) seven others which they could choose from.
 
Taun mentioned that the bachelor males at Port Lympne were born at Howletts, which is correct, but most of them were fathered by Bitam, so are not related to Kijo or any of his group. Only 'Kush' & 'Djimu' were born in Kijo's group so wouldn't qualify,while Mataki is also more distantly related also. But when the time comes there are(currently) seven others which they could choose from.

Can always rely on you to give us that added little bit of information. ;)
 
does anyone know how the 3 infant gorillas oudiki kouki and tiya are doing in the gabon if so send me a message
 
Back
Top