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Cincinnati Zoo welcomes new gorilla

Cincinnati Zoo
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The Cincinnati Zoo has a new gorilla. The sixteen-year-old Western lowland silverback comes from the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas.

Harambe brings the total number of gorillas at the zoo to ten. Harambe weighs in at 419 pounds and is being placed in a social group with two 19-year-old females. They will not be bred together.

The Zoo says Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered in the wild, with less than 175-thousand individuals.

“In the other gorillas’ eyes, Jomo is still the man and Harambe is yet to establish himself. He’s a rookie silverback in camp for spring training,” said Ron Evans, Curator of Primates at the Cincinnati Zoo. Subsets of these groups will be on exhibit in Gorilla World until introductions behind the scenes are complete. After that, the two groups will rotate on and off exhibit. “At 16, Harambe is a young silverback learning his role as a future leader. He got too old to fit in at his natal institution and, like wild gorillas, had to leave the area to find his own way. Matching him up with the socially-savvy Chewie and Mara is a good step in his development. It’s important to have self-assured females as Harambe transitions from teenager to confident and well-balanced silverback. He demonstrates intelligence and curiosity, using sticks and things to reach for items outside his grasp,” said Evans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKGSmRC7FUk&feature=youtu.be

Senior Editor and reporter at WVXU with more than 20 years experience in public radio; formerly news and public affairs producer with WMUB. Would really like to meet your dog.