Why are mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) unfit for captivity?

[GreatApeFan7]

Hi there,

Some time ago I came across a thread talking about the mountain gorillas briefly kept by Zoo Antwerp, they only stayed briefly there and died shortly after arriving. Why is this subspecies so unfit for captivity, unlike the other ones?

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Hi there,

Some time ago I came across a thread talking about the mountain gorillas briefly kept by Zoo Antwerp, they only stayed briefly there and died shortly after arriving. Why is this subspecies so unfit for captivity, unlike the other ones?

Well, they aren't necessarily - the key thing to consider is that Eastern Lowland and Western Lowland had terrible survival rates for a long time too!

The reason they aren't a good candidate for captivity now is nothing to do with diet, or longevity, or husbandry - it's that the wild population is too small and too precarious to permit the numbers of animals that would be required to be taken into captivity, even IF the capture of great apes for captivity was still permitted or deemed acceptable.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

Well, they aren't necessarily - the key thing to consider is that Eastern Lowland and Western Lowland had terrible survival rates for a long time too!

The reason they aren't a good candidate for captivity now is nothing to do with diet, or longevity, or husbandry - it's that the wild population is too small and too precarious to permit the numbers of animals that would be required to be taken into captivity, even IF the capture of great apes for captivity was still permitted or deemed acceptable.

A regular occurence with early gorilla imports too. Imagine that most infant gorilla that end up in the trade are malnourished and in worse conditions for wear, so not surprising they would not make it long term. I just wonder about the circumstances back then.

Right now both Eastern Lowland and Mountain gorilla have separate orphanages in Central Africa. Same issues, but different circumstances. I have always viewed it a good op to send back Amahoro to the orphanage of her conspecifics to be a surrogate mum to them.

 

[MRJ]

Hi there,

Some time ago I came across a thread talking about the mountain gorillas briefly kept by Zoo Antwerp, they only stayed briefly there and died shortly after arriving. Why is this subspecies so unfit for captivity, unlike the other ones?

You also should note that there are two species of gorillas, and each has two sub-species. Only one subspecies is established in zoos, the lowland Western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). As has been pointed out it took many years to learn how to properly care for gorillas, and while we could now probably fairly easily establish other species and subspecies in captivity, this hardly seems justified. Especially as the common method to obtain gorillas for zoos was to capture juveniles by shooting all the other members of their family.

Eastern mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) seem to have been increasing in numbers in recent years because of the protection provided by ecotourism. Much better you save up to go see the mountain gorilla in the wild, and enjoy the Western lowland gorillas at your local zoo.

 

[Tapirus Lar]

Hi there,

Some time ago I came across a thread talking about the mountain gorillas briefly kept by Zoo Antwerp, they only stayed briefly there and died shortly after arriving. Why is this subspecies so unfit for captivity, unlike the other ones?

Mountain gorillas are kept in captivity, just a small group of ones which are orphaned or confiscated from poachers, at the Senkwekwe Center in Virunga National Park. This link provides a lot more info:
Mountain Gorilla Sanctuary for Orphaned Gorillas | Virunga National Park