It's been a beat since we've checked in with Kwame and his western lowland gorilla family. Most of you already know that Kitoko—son of Kwame and Uzumma—moved on to his next big adventure a few months ago. We're happy to report that the nearly 7 year old has landed in the most perfect spot for this time in his development—the amazing San Diego Zoo. He is settling into a bachelor group there—a normal and very important stage of life for male gorillas in the wild and in human care. This is where Kitoko will learn to navigate gorilla “society” before eventually maturing into an impressive silverback (like his father) who may be able to lead his own group of females and start a family. Of course we miss Kitoko, but we're heartened to know he is exactly where he belongs, doing great (being spoiled by the San Diego Zoo gorilla keepers who already adore him) and settling into his new home.
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| Beautiful Uzumma with son Kitoko behind her (taken earlier this year). Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. |
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| Uzumma is an "empty-nester"! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo |
Mom Uzumma, who is now 19 years old, has been one of the most dominant females in Kwame's group and seems to be settling into her new(ish) "empty nester" life. The gorilla keepers tell us she is showing more "light-hearted" behaviors for the first time in a while, playing "hide and seek" under blankets (young Zuna is a frequent playmate) and even wrestling with Kwame. It's nice to see this playful and less serious side to Uzumma. Does this mean Uzumma's status in the hierarchy has changed? Quite possibly—but that's not unusual. Hierarchy within a gorilla group is a fluid thing, and it changes as developments within the family change.
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| Akenji (L) with Zuna (R) in front of her. Photo: Beth Keplinger/Woodland Park Zoo |
Nadiri, who is 30 years old, has two daughters who both have her back when she needs it. Even so, she is subordinate in many instances, and her personality is more submissive by nature. She prefers to avoid conflict as much as possible—unless it's with her own daughters, Yola (fathered by the late Vip) and Zuna (fathered by Kwame) who she will "put in their places" if needed. Both of her daughters respect their mother—as they should!
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| Yola is an adult now! Where did the time go? Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo |
The oldest, Yola, is a young adult now—turning 11 years old on November 20. She spends lots of time with little sister Zuna and still feels most comfortable with her mom and sister nearby, but she can hold her own when she needs to.
Yola is a very smart and savvy gorilla. She is good at using tools (such as sticks) to get food from a puzzle feeder and is showing more confidence, standing up for herself during the occasional altercation. Her status within the hierarchy could be on the rise, but only time will tell.
Yola has lots of favorite snacks, including an applesauce and peas combo which is a particular favorite. A gorilla's diet consists mostly of green vegetables—but they do get occasional fruit treats. Yola's faves are mango and banana.
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| Sisters: Zuna (L) and Yola (R). They have each other's backs! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo |
Little sis, Zuna, is 5-going-on-6 years old (her birthday is at the end of January). She still has a close bond with her mother, but is showing increased confidence on her own, too. When the gorilla keepers toss afternoon snacks from the roof—such as heads of crunchy romaine—she used to let the others get first dibs. But now she is more self-assured! She gets right in there to snatch up her share and move to a "safe" space where she can enjoy her snack in peace and out of reach of the others. In addition to her diet of green veggies, Zuna's favorite fruit treats are the tropical ones, like banana or mango—just like her big sister.
Zuna's growing confidence also includes an independent (and perhaps even a bit headstrong) streak too. At the end of the day if she doesn't want to come inside for the evening, the gorilla keepers will turn to Nadiri for a little help asking her to "go get your baby”. Sometimes Nadiri has to practically drag her daughter along (parents, can you relate?) and sometimes Zuna runs away vocalizing with a "gorilla laugh" (a kind of low, breathy chuffing sound) as Nadiri tries to catch her.
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| Zuna is growing in stature and in self-confidence! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo |
Overall, Zuna is a very well-rounded gorilla—and a healthy one too! She had her first "head-to-toe" wellness exam with our animal health team last month and passed with flying colors. She is also very smart and has recently learned how to use a stick as a tool to retrieve food from a puzzle feeder. Another measure of her dexterity, Zuna is an expert nest-builder and is quite socially savvy—getting on well with her sister, mom and Aunt Akenji. She also has a very strong relationship with dad, Kwame, and likes to be near him.
Zuna has likely learned some of those nest-building skills from 25-year-old Akenji. Akenji is an expert at nest-building—and she also loves to hold, hide under, and drape her head and shoulders with blankets and pieces of cloth that are available to the group as part of their enrichment.
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| Akenji is an expert nest-builder and is sharing her expertise with Zuna. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo |
Kwame—who shares a birthday with Yola, is turning 27 on November 20—is the silverback for this group, and he continues to be a steady, confident leader for everyone. While he is the largest gorilla in his family group (as he should be), Kwame is actually on the smaller side, relatively speaking, for a western lowland silverback. He currently weighs in at around 325 pounds, which is nearly 60 pounds lighter than Nadaya—the silverback of the other family group that lives separately from Kwame's. (There can only be one silverback leading each gorilla group and they never share the same space at the same time.)
Speaking of Nadaya and his group, many of you are probably familiar with the
two babies born into his family earlier this year and have asked us whether the new young family has had any effect on Kwame's group.
Woodland Park Zoo has two separate gorilla habitats, each with outdoor and indoor spaces on the public side and behind the scenes. The west habitat has a pool and lots of space to run around, while the east habitat has more vertical space with an amazing climbing structure. The two areas are separated by fencing and dense tree growth. Every few days, the gorilla keepers give the families the opportunity to rotate into the other habitat so they can experience both areas, which is very enriching for both groups. They can obviously smell (and very occasionally see) each other, but for the most part the goings-on of one group do not have much of an effect on the other.
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| Nadiri (R) with daughters Yola (L) and Zuna (front). Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo |
As we move further into fall, both gorilla groups are settling into the season enjoying some of their favorite treats, including juicy banana leaves and stalks and lots of fresh browse (branches, leaves, twigs, other vegetation). With viburnum, for example, they remove the leaves so they can get to their favorite part—the bark! They will sit near each other, "hanging out" and chewing on the bark, much like you and your family might sit together munching on popcorn. Actually, popcorn is another favorite treat for the gorillas—minus the added butter and salt, of course. They also like foraging for green beans that the keepers spread throughout the habitats before the gorillas go out in the morning. Searching and foraging are very natural behaviors for gorillas so hiding their food in bushes and spreading it far and wide is very enriching for the groups. It also extends their mealtime together and gives all members of the groups a chance to find the best bites of food.
We hope you'll enjoy visiting both gorilla families this season and—as always—we are grateful for your continued interest in and love for the gorillas and all the animals that call Woodland Park Zoo home.
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