Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communication
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| Our Gorilla Care Team has lovingly named this Baby Abeo, which means “brings of Happiness” in the Yoruba language. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren |
A week ago, Woodland Park Zoo announced his critical decision to move his 1½ -month -old male gorilla to another zoo to make sure he is bred by gorillas and grows up like a gorilla. He has probably arrived at his new home, Louisville Zoo in Kentucky, where he will be socialized with a fetus gorilla mother and multi -generational family of gorillas.
Woodland Park Zoo’s Gorilla Care team has lovingly named Baby Gorilla, Abeo (AH-Beh-Oh), which means “Bring of Lykke” in Yoruba, after a language spoken in West Africa.
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| This is Kweli, an experienced, nurturing mother and surrogate. Photo with permission from Louisville Zoo. |
Each precautionary measure was taken for Baby Gorilla’s journey to reduce his health exposure and secure his safe arrival. A Woodland Park Zoo Gorilla -Vice host and veterinarian accompanied him during transit right through to Louisville and will remain as long as necessary to facilitate his transition to his new home.
Baby Gorilla was born June 28 to Akenji, a first time mother and father Kwame. He has been under the clock around the Woodland Park Zoo staff since shortly after he was born because his mother had not shown interest in caring for her baby. Zoo was about training three of its experienced gorillas to become surrogates, but progress did not go fast enough for the baby’s well -being.
Gorillas are intelligent animals that live in complex, social groups. Being with a mother is natural for an infant garilla. This gives the infant confidence and a sense of security. These are critical features of a gorilla to live a healthy, social life with multi -generational gorillas, which is a natural grouping for this great monkey. This is why raising a baby-garilla must be gorillacentrically from the start.
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| Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo |
“When the baby grew and reached important developmental milestones, we fought against the clock. For his long -term benefits and well -being, we could not further delay the critical need for him to be cared for directly by Gorillas or take the risk of being characterized by humans,” said Martin Ramirez, Interim Senior Director of Animal Care in Woodland Park Zoo.
Woodland Park Zoo worked with the Gorilla species Survival Plan (SSP) to find a new home and appropriate family situation. A cooperative breeding program across accredited zoos to help secure healthy, self-supporting populations of gorillas, maintaining the SSP program a list of potential surrogates across the country for situations like this, and experts recommended Louisville Zoo, where the baby Gorilla can be socialized with a foster mother and a mulline family.
“While we were hoping for another result, this is the best decision for Baby Gorilla’s long -term benefits and well -being,” added Ramirez.
Kweli, a 40-year-old experienced mother and fetus, has been chosen to be the baby’s foster mother. She lives in Louisville Zoo’s award-winning Gorilla forest with family members: 42-year-old Silverback (adult male gorilla) Casey; And women, 35-year-old Paki, 11-year-old Patty and 8-year-old Kindi. The family group is on exhibition rotation with a bachelor group at the Zoo.
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| Kweli, who has been seen here with the young kindi, whom she struggled as an infant, is a proven mother and surrogate many times! Photo with permission from Louisville Zoo |
Like Woodland Park Zoo, Louisville Zoo is accredited by Association of Zoos & Aquariums and a respected Peer institution. “We are sure of Louisville Zoo’s experienced gorilla and veterinary staff, passion and professionalism and are so grateful that they have opened their arms to take our baby. This baby Gorilla will continue to be in excellent hands and grow to be a gorilla. We look forward to seeing his journey from a distance,” Ramirez said.
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| We love you, Abeo, and know that you are in the best hands as your new family in Louisville welcomes you. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo |
Art survival plans are collaborative programs across accredited zoos and aquariums to help ensure healthy, self -supporting populations of endangered and endangered species. The plans call for experts in animal care, welfare and preservation that work to maintain genetically different, self -supporting populations of more than 500 species of animals.
We encourage you to follow Louisville Zoo on social media to get more details about Little Abeo’s new beginning in his new home. There must be plenty of socialization and bonding that takes place in a quiet environment behind the scenes there, and it may take some time – but we will share new developments when they become available. For now, we are glad that Abeo has arrived safely in his new home, and we are filled with gratitude for all people, from Woodland Park Zoo and Louisville Zoo, who are interested in this precious baby to make sure he gets a chance to grow up as a gorilla. Thanks!