Lowland Gorillas in Europe 2023

Okavango said:
In a video on facebook, the zoo announces the reasons for leaving, do you have the translation ?
A transfer to a park so far away is surprising, can this mean that this male will not reproduce ?
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No I don't, but those videos nearly always say the same things-' he needs to leave, will be joining a male group as in nature(sic)' etc...;)

I presume Quembo will joining the two other males in Mysore, providing they can integrate him successfully. They are the only gorillas in India. Sending him there means they won't be breeding from him I'm certain. Asian zoos represent something of a final resort for zoos with surplus males I think.
 
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Thank you for that answer !
So it's kind of a loophole for the EEP about excess males. The problem being that asian standards are not the same as european standards, I hope Quembo's new house isn't too unsuitable.
 
Okavango said:
Thank you for that answer !
So it's kind of a loophole for the EEP about excess males. The problem being that asian standards are not the same as european standards, I hope Quembo's new house isn't too unsuitable.
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Agree about Asian Zoos. Gorillas that go there risk a shortened life due to many factors- inexperienced management, quality of enclosures, parasitic infections etc. I think most zoos that send gorillas(or other animals) to Asian zoos do vet the surroundings carefully beforehand or even advise on construction, but at the same time may be desperate to relocate the animals concerned. From video I've seen I think the other two males at Mysore have reasonable surroundings. They also did manage to keep their previous single male Polo (from Dublin Zoo) alive for several decades until he died as an older animal.
 
I think there is more nuance to the relocation to Asian zoos. The EEP helps design or approve the enclosure before sending individuals. They also train the staff that will work with the animals. I also think it's important that they get better bonds with these facilities which happens. This eases cooperation in the future, and helps with future exchange of animals.
You have to remember that the western lowland gorilla EEP did some mismanagement at the start with the Apenheul male lineage that was way over represented. Those silverbacks were and still are a blessing to work with but create a bottleneck in the population. So they were desperate for new founders and getting Bao bao from Taiwan was a godsend. This opened up a lot of cooperation and the local keepers came to Apenheul and learned a lot.
So while I do think the EU should step up and be able to house every member of the population which means housing more males, projects like international exchange are not all bad. But these animals are not left on their own the EEP still helps them and most seem to be doing well.
 
I think it might be worth noting that several Asian Zoos have exceptionally high standards i.e Singapore, Yokohama, or Ueno. Similarly, Africa is not known for its good animal welfare however zoos like Haller Park, Nairobi Safari Walk, Bothongo, Johannesburg, or the Pretoria Zoo all have superb animal welfare that could easily contest the likes of the best zoos in Europe or North Africa. I believe without a doubt in my mind that the aforementioned zoos could all successfully keep gorillas in peak enclosures.
The Pretoria Zoo has kept gorillas for nearly 60 years now.

I'm aware that Johannesburg will be refurbishing its enclosure after the death of its last male in 2022 and intend to import female animals from Europe.
 
Nix said:
I think it might be worth noting that several Asian Zoos have exceptionally high standards i.e Singapore, Yokohama, or Ueno.
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You bring a good point that Asian zoos are not neccesarily a terrible dead end for horillas. However...

It is ironic that not only two of the three examples you give are in the same country as Japan Monkey Center, Hamamatsu Zoo, and Sendai Yagiyama Zoo (the latter being a former holder of gorillas) which have subpar enclosures and keep/kept their gorillas alone. And I don't think that the fact that all these silverbacks were able to pass the age of 45 could justify the conditions they were subjected to. Not to mention Japan can never get EAZA surplus animals since the no member of the EU is not listed in the list of approved countries to export primates.

Also afaik Singapore cannot keep gorillas due to a certain earth dwelling bacteria that ends up killing the gorillas. Maybe this is bound to change in the new Mandai Parks but I would not count on that.

Perseus6 said:
You have to remember that the western lowland gorilla EEP did some mismanagement at the start with the Apenheul male lineage that was way over represented.
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That linneage is over represented in Japan as well since brothers Haoko and Shabani of Apenheul were sent to Japan together years after they were initially sent to Taronga. They are two of the three breeding silverbacks in Japan.
 
PossumRoach said:
Also afaik Singapore cannot keep gorillas due to a certain earth dwelling bacteria that ends up killing the gorillas. Maybe this is bound to change in the new Mandai Parks but I would not count on that.
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There are no plans to bring Gorillas to Singapore in the forseeable future as there is still no effective treatment or vaccine for the soil-borne disease that killed the Gorillas brought to Singapore in the 80s and early 90s.
 
Completely unexpected, gorilla Bokito died at Diergaarde Blijdorp on Tuesday 4 April. Since last Sunday, he had been feeling unwell. On Monday, his stool was examined and he was under additional observation. On Tuesday, there was still no improvement in his situation. It was therefore decided to examine him further and administer fluids under anaesthesia. During anaesthesia, he died. The cause is not yet known. Further investigations will be conducted into this.

Source: Gorilla Bokito overleden
 
While on 31st March, 40 year old female Faddama, the oldest of their group, died at Basel Zoo. Her sad death was another result of the longterm foxworm infestation which appears at intervals in this group.
 
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The installation of the "Zoo du Bassin d'Arcachon" is soon ready. Two of the future individuals will arrive from Stuttgart.
 
Does anybody have information about:
- the females who live with Quembo?
- the constructions of gorilla area in Heidelberg, Wroclaw, Apenheul?
- the moving of Bauwi and his sons?

From Stuttgart Tonda and Kajari will move to France.
 
Part of the composition of the groups of gorillas at the "Zoo du Bassin d'Arcachon" has been unveiled on the zoo's facebook page. So, the first group will consist of silverback Awali (Amnéville) and blackbacks Tonda and Kajari (Stuttgart). The second group will consist of silverback Dishi (La Boissière du Doré) and two blackbacks whose identities have not been revealed.

This is good news for Awali because he currently lives alone because he no longer gets along with the young people in his Amnéville group who have become silverbacks. It should normally arrive on May 16 in Arcachon.

The transfer of Dishi will allow the "Zoo de la Boissière du Doré" to welcome young blackbacks around the silverback Jaja.
 
At Burgers' Zoo, silverback Bauwi was euthanised on Saturday 13 May.

The keepers, biologists and veterinarian recently observed that the adult gorilla male was not doing well. The zoo also called in the help of specialists. Despite extra rest, attention and care, his situation quickly deteriorated.

Source: Burgers' Zoo
 
Tonda, kajari and Dishi are already moved to France. Does anybody already knows who will live with Dishi in a group and who will move to La Boissiere to live with Jaja?
 
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