COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Two gorilla brothers at Riverbanks Zoo are set to move to the Dallas Zoo as part of a national conservation program that coordinates animal placements among institutions.
Moyo and Zakota, who made history in 2018 as the first gorillas ever born at Riverbanks Zoo, will be paired with two other male gorillas in Dallas to form a bachelor troop.
Ryan Jones, gorilla and small mammal supervisor at Riverbanks Zoo, said the move reflects how young male gorillas behave in the wild.
“It’s very natural for gorillas, especially young males, to go off and leave their parents,” Jones said. “They do this very naturally in the wild, and often go and form bachelor groups, which is all-male groups, because it is safer and it’s more comfortable to live with other gorillas.”
Jones said the Dallas arrangement will replicate that natural social structure.
“It will mirror that very natural behavior and that natural social structure that they go through, and it will allow them to mature and kind of go through that awkward teenage phase together,” he said.
According to the zoo, the move was recommended by a program that coordinates animal placements among institutions that support their well-being. Jones said the process involved extensive planning.
“This is a multi-year process, and they meet consistently and work with the zoos to plan that out to make sure there’s somewhere for them to go,” Jones said. “And that’s identifying where and when much, much further ahead of time.”
The brothers leave behind their father, Cenzoo, their individual mothers, Kazi and Macy, and their aunt Acacia. Jones said the bond built with zoo staff over the years will also be difficult to part with.
“It’s that time that we have spent. Every day since they could eat solids, we have spent at least two to three times working with them, training and practicing these different behaviors, making sure they’re comfortable and ready and smart and willing to learn,” Jones said. “That will be gone, and it’s going to be hard.”
When asked about the possibility of future gorilla births at Riverbanks, Jones said, “We really, really hope so.”
Visitors who want to see Moyo and Zakota before their departure can visit Riverbanks Zoo in the coming weeks.
Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here.
