Lowland Gorillas in Europe 2023

The zoo of Krefeld already finished the 1st part of the Affenpark constructions. They build a temporary outdoor enclosure for chimpanzee Limbo and Bally and made bigger the outdoor gorilla enclosure. They started the next part of the constructions, A warmhouse which is for a male gorilla group and a chimpanzee group and 1-1 outdoor enclosures for them.
Artenschutz-Zentrum AffenPark - Zoo Krefeld
 
Gorilla male Aybo has moved from Diergaarde Blijdorp to Zoo du Bassin d'Arcachon in France. The rest of the gorilla group will also move to other zoos in the coming years. No new group will return to Blijdorp in the future.

This decision stems from Blijdorp's sharpened mission and vision for species conservation and nature restoration presented at the beginning of this month. To realise these goals, sometimes difficult choices have to be made, of which this is one. Also part of the future plan is the renovation of the Riviera hall that currently houses the gorillas. If all the gorillas have moved out and renovations are not yet underway, the enclosure could possibly be used as a temporary holding facility.

The current gorilla group consists of the two bloodlines of females Tamani and Aya, with their young. A suitable new home has already been found for almost all the gorillas in due course. It may still be several years before the last gorilla leaves Blijdorp. The exact schedule of these moves is not yet known, except that gorilla male Aybo is the first to have left. His mother Aya and her youngest kid Ajabu will move together and a suitable place for his sister Ayba is also still being sought. The other group comprising Tamani, Tonka and Thabo will most likely move to Italy together.

Source: Diergaarde Blijdorp
 
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MennoPebesma said:
Gorilla male Aybo has moved from Diergaarde Blijdorp to Zoo du Bassin d'Arcachon in France. The rest of the gorilla group will also move to other zoos in the coming years. No new group will return to Blijdorp in the future.

This decision stems from Blijdorp's sharpened mission and vision for species conservation and nature restoration presented at the beginning of this month. To realise these goals, sometimes difficult choices have to be made, of which this is one. Also part of the future plan is the renovation of the Riviera hall that currently houses the gorillas. If all the gorillas have moved out and renovations are not yet underway, the enclosure could possibly be used as a temporary holding facility.

The current gorilla group consists of the two bloodlines of females Tamani and Aya, with their young. A suitable new home has already been found for almost all the gorillas in due course. It may still be several years before the last gorilla leaves Blijdorp. The exact schedule of these moves is not yet known, except that gorilla male Aybo is the first to have left. His mother Aya and her youngest kid Ajabu will move together and a suitable place for his sister Ayba is also still being sought. The other group comprising Tamani, Tonka and Thabo will most likely move to Italy together.

Source: Diergaarde Blijdorp
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To Italy? Fasano is the only holder momently but not able to keep more gorillas in that enclosure.
 
Vimoto said:
To Italy? Fasano is the only holder momently but not able to keep more gorillas in that enclosure.
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Its possible they have reached agreement with the owner of Rui perhaps(?)- maybe the enclosure will be upgraded and he will get this company so they can try to breed from him?
 
Pertinax said:
Its possible they have reached agreement with the owner of Rui perhaps(?)- maybe the enclosure will be upgraded and he will get this company so they can try to breed from him?
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Thabo as being a male going to be introduced to a silverback, together with the mother-unit?
 
In a few weeks, Apenheul will get a new silverback. The current silverback, Bao Bao, is getting older and has health problems. Therefore, a successor was sought. This is 16-year-old Banjoko. He was born in Zoo Heidelberg and currently lives in a bachelor group in ZooParc de Beauval.

Bao Bao will stay in Apenheul but will get his own smaller group. Which gorillas will stay with Bao Bao and which will live with Banjoko is not yet known.

Source: Nieuwe gorillaleider in Apenheul - Apenheul
 
Seems to be a good decision. A vital young silverback.
They stated it is the fourth time they introduce an adult gorilla male by the wives.
Which three males could be the predecessor of Banjoko?
 
Banjoko as a coming adult male.
There has been a Kibabu, a Lukas forming with a female his own band. Has there been a Bobby once? Or even an Oskar?
Has been a BaoBao. A Jambo. A Balu, who became a father himself with female. A Bongo as do I remember well.
 
MennoPebesma said:
These were the first three silverbacks in Apenheul:
Bongo from 1974 to 2005
Jambo from 2006 to 2018
Bao Bao from 2018 till now
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Really? Really?
I cannot remember me that this is the right way of the history of Apenheul.
Is it really true?
 
john said:
Really? Really?
I cannot remember me that this is the right way of the history of Apenheul.
Is it really true?
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This is what I could find about the gorillas you mentioned:

Kikabu: Lived at Apenheul from 1987 to 1996 and was the silverback of a second group of gorillas.
Lukas: Was born in Apenheul in 1982. He moved to another zoo at the age of 15.
Bobby: I cannot find anything about a gorilla named Bobby in Apenheul.
Oscar: He came on breeding loan from Dierenpark Wassenaar in 1978. Two years later, he moved to another zoo.
Bao Bao: Has been Apenheul's silverback since 2018.
Jambo: Was Apenheul's silverback from 2006 to 2018.
Balu: He was part of the first group of gorillas in Apenheul. Bongo was also in that group. He became the silverback and Balu moved to another zoo.
Bongo: Was Apenheul's silverback until 2005.
 
So, there are a Bongo, Jambo, BaoBao. And besides that also a Kibabu from the UK, being introduced as a silverback.
So there has been an older male as Bongo becoming a sire himself. That older male seems to be named Balu.
So there has been a silverback Oscar being introduced to the older female Kim in that cage at the west side of the building.
So there has been a Lukas together with a female at Apenheul, starting their family life.
Thanks for the information MennoPebesma.

So the three in total silverbacks at Apenheul as predecessors to Banjoko are Oscar, Balu, Bongo, Kibabu, Jambo, BaoBao.
Thanks.
 
john said:
So the three in total silverbacks at Apenheul as predecessors to Banjoko are Oscar, Balu, Bongo, Kibabu, Jambo, BaoBao.
Thanks.
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Only Bongo, Jambo and BaoBao have headed the main group in Apenhuel. Kibabu was the leader of a second group they formed and then later sent to Sydney, Australia. Balu was the older of the first two males but Bongo was the first to breed. Balu was later sent to La Palmyre in France. The other males mentioned never lived with a full group afaik.
 
At Apenheul this rearrangement will no doubt be taking into account the young neutered male Jabari who was disruptive in the group with elderly BaoBao and has since had to be seperated, with one female Chama for company. This is not a desirable situation but with a new young/powerful silverback in charge it may be possible to reintegrate them back into a single group again, with a second group then comprising BaoBao and one or more companions.(the two old females Mandji & Mintha?)
 
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