Joe, the 45 year old silverback gorilla has died.
Joe the Gorilla dies at Twycross Zoo - Birmingham Mail
Joe the Gorilla dies at Twycross Zoo - Birmingham Mail
Twycross Zoo Joe the gorilla dies
- Thread starter kiang
- Start date
The silverback reached a respectable age (as did Matze at Frankfurt), so sad ... well he probably had a good life ...!
It is just changing of the guard now ... really ... and a CHANCE for Twycross World Primate Conservation Center ... to fully redeem itself.
Please Twycross Zoo management bring us please a suitable and "proven" silverback to finally initiate a long term vision of breeding these wonderful great apes at Twycross (instead of haphazardly and in unsuitable exhibits)!!!
Each silverback's death, is another's bread and butter ... (so to speak)
It is just changing of the guard now ... really ... and a CHANCE for Twycross World Primate Conservation Center ... to fully redeem itself.
Please Twycross Zoo management bring us please a suitable and "proven" silverback to finally initiate a long term vision of breeding these wonderful great apes at Twycross (instead of haphazardly and in unsuitable exhibits)!!!
Each silverback's death, is another's bread and butter ... (so to speak)
Each silverback's death, is another's bread and butter ... (so to speak)
True in group situations, but not necessarily with poor old 'Joe'. As he never bred, and was living alone, its fairly irrelevant to the current groupings though it does leave an empty enclosure in the 2nd Gorilla House.
Joe(born c.1962) and his original partner 'Bongo' (who still lives at the zoo) were the first Gorillas there. He had three homes during his long life; 1. the old chimp cages. 2. the first Gorilla House. 3. a 'purpose built' section of the 2nd Gorilla house. He very much represented the 'old' Twycross and was undoubtedly their best known animal.
His illness must have been short as he looked fit and well in June, in fact in better condition than previous years.
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I saw him about 10 days ago and although I wasn't familiar with him there was not anything obviously wrong.
taun
Well-Known Member
Not bad idea, but I doubt they will.
... the easiest way would be to bring the two females and juvenile Matadi from the other house, as the older house is better for introductions etc. This would make the newer house available for a group of Bonobos.
It would be perfectly feasible now to create a SINGLE Gorilla group. If they were also to add a younger breeding male (e.g. Dublin 'Kesho') he could take over as he matures. SamSam is old and quiet and very unlikely to be aggressive anyway. OR SamSam could be 'retired' into Joe's old half, with e.g. Bongo(non-breeder) for company, keeping the other three females and a new male on the other side. They wouldn't have to have a single gorilla again.
My guess is nothing may happen immediately though- except maybe the old trio being allowed to access Joe's old area as well....
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Sam Sam - RIP
On a visit to Twycross on Friday a notice in the Gorilla House announced that Sam Sam had passed away peacefully earlier this month , age 35 .
There are now the 2 old females in this house with two separate indoor display areas and two outside areas . The 2 younger females and 5 year old male are in the other large Gorilla House .
On a visit to Twycross on Friday a notice in the Gorilla House announced that Sam Sam had passed away peacefully earlier this month , age 35 .
There are now the 2 old females in this house with two separate indoor display areas and two outside areas . The 2 younger females and 5 year old male are in the other large Gorilla House .
GOOD HEAVENS!! talk about a succession of deaths. At 35 SamSam was not that old but he DID look much older(more like 45). They have now lost; Mamfe, Yinka, Sekondi, Eva, Ndoki, Joe and now SamSAm, all since August 2006. It is just coincidence I'm sure but prior to all these there had never been a Gorilla death there- apart from one non-viable infant.
The ONLY male there now is SamSam's 5year old grandson 'Matadi' Surely now they will accumulate the remaining 1.4 animals into a single group with a new male?
I still think the best available candidate is 10 year old 'Kesho' in Dublin.
dragon(ele)nerd
Well-Known Member
Rest in peace joe, a loss of a life no matter how big or small is a sad loss,
taun
Well-Known Member
It is a very bad situation, I hope they now see sense and do as yout suggesting and combine the groups and bring a new male in.
Please management figures at Twycross see some sense in the gorilla situation and request urgent intervention on behalf of the EEP and get a new proven or socially adept silverback to pick up the gorilla troupe at Twycross and amalgamate its remains into a functioning and reproducing gorilla troupe.
Now that would be news to come home with .....!
Now that would be news to come home with .....!
Maybe we should present a petition to them, as this situation cannot continue!
I don't think that will be necessary
. With SamSam's demise they now have no adult male gorilla for people to see and I'm sure they will want to put that right, even if not very interested in breeding them.As I see it they have 3 options;
1. Put all 4 females(+Matadi) into one house and add a new male. This leaves the other house vacant for other apes e.g. the 2nd Bonobo group.
2. Continue as they are with two groups, but get two new males.
3. Do absolutely nothing- but I can't quite believe there won't be some change now.
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taun
Well-Known Member
I favour option 1, as the group will be a more balance one, plus as you have said frees up the enclosure for the 2nd bonobo group.