PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium announced it will exchange gorillas with Boston’s Franklin Park Zoo.
Seven-year-old male western lowland gorilla Frankie will move to Boston, while 33-year-old silverback Little Joe will come to Pittsburgh.
This exchange is part of the American Association of Zoos & Aquarium’s (AZA) Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP) to ensure a healthy and genetically diverse population of critically endangered gorillas in human care.
The AZA’s SSP program actively monitors the population of gorillas living in human care. Its recommendations for social groupings are based on genetics, age and housing availability. The plan aims to provide a healthy, genetically diverse population for these critically endangered animals.
Frankie was born at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium in 2018 to female Moka. Keepers describe Frankie as having “good vibes – playful and chill.” At the Franklin Park Zoo, Frankie will join a newly formed bachelor group with two other male gorillas of his size and age. This arrangement mimics wild gorilla social groups where young males typically leave their family groups and form bachelor groups. Juvenile male gorillas who are too old to be considered juveniles but too young to be silverbacks are often called “blackbacks.” In the wild, blackbacks generally leave their birth group around the age of 8. They may also be forced out by the silverback of their natal group. They can then band together with other blackback males in bachelor groups but typically do not acquire females of their own until they are more than 13 years old.
Joe, a silverback, was a beloved resident at Boston’s Franklin Park Zoo. His keepers describe him as “curious, intelligent and gentle.” He is known to get along well with other gorillas and unrelated babies and is a quick learner, especially proficient at figuring out how to get food out of puzzle feeders. Joe will join the Pittsburgh Zoo’s family group as its silverback.
The Zoo’s current gorilla family includes females Moka, 29 and Ibo, 35, along with youngsters Charlotte, 3 and Bo, 2. A typical gorilla family group consists of one mature male and several females with offspring.
The SSP emphasizes that bachelor groups are crucial for allowing non-breeding males to live healthy, social lives while minimizing competition and conflict. The matchmaking role performed by the SSP also identifies potential opportunities to promote well-being among breeding troops.
Karen Vacco, assistant Mammal Curator at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, said the amount of time it takes for an introduction varies for each individual animal.
“Given the intelligence of a gorilla, personalities and group dynamics we will be working at their pace and comfort level as to when it will be appropriate to introduce them,” Vacco said.
She indicated that the best-case scenario for Joe’s introduction is four to seven weeks. During this time, the team will focus on building keeper trust. Joe will have visual access to the troop during this period and once he is comfortable with his surroundings, physical introductions will be considered.
Once Joe is acquainted with his new family, Pittsburgh Zoo guests will be able to view him with the entire gorilla troop in their habitat at the Tropical Forest Complex.
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