Catch up with our gorilla troop

Last month, Bristol Zoological Society’s Curator of Mammals, Sarah Gedman, gave a public talk on all things gorilla.

The talk, ‘Get ready for our gorillas!’, covered updates on our western lowland gorilla troop and information about their new Central African Forest habitat.

Read the latest update on the Central African Forest habitat.

In case you missed the talk, you can get up to speed with the gorillas in this blog!

How are the gorillas at Bristol Zoo Gardens?

Since the Bristol Zoo Gardens (BZG) site closed in 2022, life has continued as normal for the troop and the team who care for them. The eight gorillas have exactly the same routine as they did when the site was open to the public. Their keepers continue to work with them, and they regularly see higher education students, researchers and specially invited guests, so not much has changed from their perspective.

In the two years since BZG closed, many of the gorillas have moved into different life stages. Jock, at 41 years old, is now the oldest living silverback in a UK zoo, while Hasani and Juni, the youngest members of the troop, are rapidly growing in confidence and maturity.

Despite his age, Jock has lost none of his authority or influence over the group. He’s still respected as the silverback, remaining active in resolving conflicts, supervising the young and handing out any discipline he deems necessary.

Our vets monitor Jock’s health continuously, and report that he is doing extremely well for 41! Although he was diagnosed with heart disease a few years ago, which is common in male gorillas his age, a recent physical health check confirmed it hasn’t progressed, which is great news. This is largely due to the level of care he receives, as well as his daily blood pressure medication! He was also fitted with an ILR (implantable loop recorder) during the health check, which is a small device placed under the skin that allows our team to monitor his heart rhythm.

As is the case with many gorilla troops, especially the western lowland subspecies, the adult females in the troop are always trying to reinforce their relationship with Jock. Touni is the most dominant female, especially now that her personality is starting to flourish again after weaning Juni.

Kera and Kala are still busy co-parenting Hasani, while Afia and Ayana are finding their place in the group as they approach adulthood. The troop is very tight-knit, and although there are the occasional squabbles, the bonds between them are very strong.

What will the new gorilla habitat at Bristol Zoo Project be like?

The new habitat will take all of the amazing elements of their current home at BZG, which has been well suited to their needs, and improve them even further. At four-and-a-half times the size of their current home, their environment within Central African Forest will provide a huge space to roam and endless enrichment opportunities.

The design of CAF has been modelled on the dense forest and landscape of Equatorial Guinea, where we run one of our largest conservation projects to protect gorillas and other threatened forest species.

There will be multiple indoor and outdoor spaces for the gorillas to spend their time, as well as offshoot areas for privacy, and lots of space for our team of keepers to prepare food and enrichment.

Possibly the most interesting aspect of their new habitat is that the gorillas will be sharing it with a group of Endangered cherry-crowned mangabeys, a smaller primate species.

Being able to interact with the mangabeys will provide a completely new form of social enrichment for our gorilla troop, as well as offering an incredible viewing experience for visitors. We’re hoping to welcome a male and two female mangabeys with a breeding recommendation, so there may be a whole family to watch as they swing through the trees!

How will the gorillas move over to Bristol Zoo Project?

To say that moving over a whole gorilla troop at once will be a big job, is quite the understatement. Normally in zoos, only one gorilla will leave at a time to move elsewhere, usually because of a breeding recommendation. But we have eight to move at the same time!

Our teams have been working together to create a plan for moving the gorillas to Bristol Zoo Project. As the troop is a family unit, they will all be moved at the same time, and they will look to Jock for reassurance as the head of the troop.

Our team of expert keepers will train the gorillas to walk into specially designed transport crates, to ensure the move is as stress-free as possible. They’ll then be moved to Bristol Zoo Project by road.

When they first arrive in their new home, they’ll be given some time to settle in and get used to their new surroundings, before being gradually introduced to the mangabeys! Once our team of expert keepers, animal behaviour specialists and vets are happy that the troop are settled and healthy, the habitat will open to visitors.