Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Handsome Nadaya! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Do you know silverback gorilla Nadaya and the three females—Jamani, Jumoke and Olympia—that make up his western lowland gorilla family? If you don’t, you should! They may not be as active as Kwame and his family because they don’t have youngsters running around (at least not yet ... more on that later) but the animal keepers tell us this group is one of the most cohesive gorilla groups they’ve ever known, in part because all of them “click” and genuinely seem to like being with each other. Nadaya, who is 24 years old, is a wonderful silverback—a relaxed, calm and mature leader. He is responsible for maintaining a calm and secure atmosphere for his group of females and restoring peace and balance if and when there should be any disagreements between them. He doesn’t like to be without his females for any length of time and seems genuinely determined to be a steady and protective pr...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Nadaya is such a handsome silverback! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Lots of you have been asking for updates on our western lowland gorilla families. Let’s start with Nadaya, our silverback who is about to celebrate a birthday, turning 22 on April 4. Nadaya lives with three females, Olympia, Jamani and Jumoke. You may remember that Nadaya, Olympia and Jamani all arrived here at Woodland Park Zoo last year to form a new family group with Jumoke , who had been living alone since Vip (her male companion) died in 2021. We are happy to report that this group is doing great together, and they seem relaxed and at ease in each other’s company—a very good sign of bonding. Nadaya and Olympia. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Our gorilla keepers already know Jumoke—and they’re thrilled to see her thriving as an active part of a family group once again—but these last few months have given them time to get to know the individ...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications   Kitoko loves to climb! It's a skill he learned from his mom, Uzumma. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Many of you already know that we now have two Western lowland gorilla family groups here at Woodland Park Zoo, each led by its own silverback. And both are continuing to do really well! Nadaya is a spectacular silverback! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Silverback Nadaya is one of three gorillas we welcomed earlier this summer to form a new family group with 37-year old Jumoke, who had been living alone since Vip (an elderly silverback who was her mate) died last year. This is 21-year-old Nadaya’s first time as the head of his own group of females and he is making great strides as he learns how to be an adept leader. In addition to Jumoke, Nadaya’s group includes females Olympia (26-year-old) and Jamani (22). In the rare instance when he might "get on the wrong side" of one of them, all three femal...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications with contributions from gorilla keepers Shawn Bell, Stephanie Payne and Judy Sievert. Hello, Jamani! Photo: North Carolina Zoo You may have heard about the recent  arrival of three new gorillas  at Woodland Park Zoo. They all came within the last month or so and are forming a new family group with 37-year-old Jumoke, who has been living alone since Vip (her male companion) died last year due to age-related medical issues. Olympia, Jamani and Nadaya! Photos of Olympia and Jamani by North Carolina Zoo, photo of Nadaya by Saint Louis Zoo. The two new females are 26-year-old Olympia and 22-year-old Jamani (pronounced juh-MAW-nee). They already know each other well and came here together from North Carolina Zoo. The new male is 21-year-old Nadaya (nuh-DIE-yuh) who came here from Saint Louis Zoo. It might be another week or so before you’ll be able to see the new gorillas on the public side of their habitat, so in the meantime we wanted to ...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Written by Stephanie Payne, gorilla keeper Note from the Editor: It’s time for an update on Woodland Park Zoo’s gorilla family. Beginning on Tuesday, April 23, our eight western lowland gorillas will be off public view for a few weeks to accommodate some improvements to their exhibit areas. While you might not be able to see them from the public viewing areas, a lot has been going on behind the scenes. Animal keeper Stephanie Payne brings us up to speed on relationship dynamics within the group and what the future might hold for them. Uzumma enjoys a snack while surveying the view from above. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Spring is in the air for the gorillas! Whether it’s seeing Vip lying in the sun, Akenji tearing apart the barberry in order to get to their blooms, or Uzumma enjoying the view from the highest perches of the climbing structures in her habitat, it is clear that we’re all enjoying the warmer te...