Lowland gorillas in Europe

It has been some time already, but given that 2 gorillas were born inside 2-weeks of oneanother I think it is worthwhile listing it here.

Zuerich (Switzerland) Zoo's 30-year old Mamitu gave birth to a .. baby on 14/7/2007. Sire is 28-year old N'Gola. Her junior by 3 years Nache gave birth to a .. baby on 29/7/2007. Both females have given birth 8 times while at Zuerich already. Some achievement that!

I challenge you grantsmb (and of course any other takers) to add on .. as you like!

 

That's news to me but glad to hear it. The only gorilla 'fact' I'll add is that Zurich's silverback 'N'Gola' is one of the many bred at Jersey - he was the first of his mother N'Pongo's offspring that she reared herself after rejecting the first three. Twycross's male Mamfe that died last year was another(older) handraised brother...

Can you answer my Basel Rhino query??

 

Ozzie gorillas integrated into new groups in Europe.

Both females Safiri and Anguka - erstwhile Taronga hopefuls and residing in Adelaide - have been integrated into new gorilla families in Europe (after their transfer in early June). Safiri was sent to Duisburg Zoo, which has a potential breeding group of 1.3 individuals. The older Anguka was sent to Lisboa Zoo, Portugal .. also in a potential breeding group of 1.3 individuals.

grantsmb, have you any thoughts on potential breeding at both zoos? What are the exhibits like (I have only visitted the Duisburg Zoo and thought their great ape house was rather rundown cementworks)?

 

Duisburg Zoo built a new gorilla outdoor enclosure 2 or 3 years ago and it is pretty good, one of the best in Germany in my opinion. Around 3000 m² and very well structured, not one of the barren, open gorilla enclosures like the new one in London ect. The indoor quarters were also enlarged. The silverback there (wild-born Kumba) is not breeding since many years despite living with a young female (Vizuri from Zurich), but there are plans to get a new young male and I think then they will have gorilla babys within a year. I don`t know what they want to do with Kumba, though.

The zoo Lisboa opened a new gorilla and orang utan enclosure this year and from the pic I have seen it looks a lot like the one in London. Too open if you ask me, but relatively big and much better then the old great ape facility. I am not sure about the breeding potential there.

 

Thanx Yassa,

What are Kumba's credentials (Is he wildborn? What age is he?)?

Probably a different personality than the Kumba that resided for several years in Amsterdam Zoo and was later sent on to Antwerpen to accompany the 2 G. gorilla graueri females there.

Do you know the identity of the male that will come to Duisburg for breeding?
Who are the 2 other females at Duisburg?

 

Now I am a little confused ...! I just noticed an assessment of gorillas in Germany for the years 1993-2003 (author: Olaf Paterok, Muenden, Germany) and this informs us:

Status 31/12/1993 Duisburg Zoo
2.1 - males Catou and Kumba non-breeding

1995
Female Kamba arrives from Leipzig Zoo on 12/1/1995.

1999
Male Kumba was sent from Duisburg Zoo to Amsterdam on 17/3/1999 (resided at Duisburg since 1976). Female Moseka arrives in 3/1999 from Heidelberg (only to be transferred on 16/11/1999 to Romagne in France). Female Kamba was sent in 4/1999 to Dvur Kralove Zoo.

2002
Female Vizuri (Zuerich born) arrives ex Leipzig Zoo on 27/6/2002 for the opening of Gorilla Bush.

2003
Female Momo (born Stuttgart in 1982) is received from Edinburgh Zoo on 21/10/2003.

The gorilla family group thus consisted of male Catou, females Momo, Vizuri and an as yet unknown old female (at least pre 1994).

Status 31/12/2003 Duisburg Zoo
1.3 - male Catou non breeding

***

Either the latter unknown female has since died or been transferred out. The new female Safiri joined the group in 6/2007. Current ISIS listing for Duisburg is 1.3.

Do you know the identity of the OLD female?
Where will the new male come from?

Grantsmb any ideas?

 

Hi. I've been away(zoo visits...)

The answer to your puzzle is as follows;

Catou and Kumba were BOTH similar aged wild caught males living at Duisburg. Kumba IS the same male that went to Amsterdam, failed to breed there and is now in Antwerp. Since he left, the male at Duisburg is Catou(not Kumba) He has never bred with a female. He is scheduled to be replaced(very soon) by the 10year old Mapema from Paignton. Mapema was born and mother-reared at Jersey- he is the grandson of Melbourne's Rigo & Yuska. The old male Catou is going to Valencia in Spain, together with the older female Dorle(born in Frankfurt) from Duisburg.

I'm pretty sure Mapema will prove to be a breeder. Duisburg have never yet bred a gorilla because both Kumba and Catou are not breeders. The outdoor enclosure looks fine to me- I think they will renovate the indoor ones sometime soon.

 

The oldest female is Dorle (born Frankfurt 1971, she came to Duisburg in 1993.
The female Momo (from Stuttgart and then Edinburgh) has never bred either(so far)
Mapema, the new male, is most likely to breed with- Safiri- Vizuri- Momo- in that order- in my estimation. Dorle will go with Catout to their 'retirement' home in Spain.

 

I expect the ISIS listing is not quite up to date and doesn't take into account the recent arrival of Safiri from Taronga Park?

 

Thnx mate,

Good to learn Mapema is coming in soon. He is genetically very valuable to the European population.

Just read some more info from a German newspaper that Safiri is actually number 4 in the female band.

Did Dorle ever breed and is she represented (in the EEP) before coming to Duisburg?

 

No, she never bred... Her parents are Matz and Makulla at Frankfurt, the oldest pair now in Europe. Their lines are represented by other offspring- particularly Matz who is pretty much over-represented.

I have a bit of Somali Ass news coming up- from Woburn...

 

I believe(don't quote me on this though...) Lisbon will have retained their original male, an old wildcaught silverback called 'Cuko' who arrived there in 1972. To see if he will breed with new younger females (such as Anguka), recently added as he has valuable genes. They may still have his non-breeding original partner 'Bak'- who came there in 1991 but I am not sure. If 'Cuko does not breed with any younger female I guess he will then be replaced.

 

Thanks grantsmb for clearing this! I confused Catou and Kumba. You are certainly right and I agree that Mapena will very likely breed with the young females soon. I am keeping my fingers crossed for the wild-born male in Lisboa... it would be great if he`d started to breed.

 

Thats okay. I'm not 100% sure that Lisbon are keeping 'Cuko' but I imagine they will want to try him as he's wildcaught. Its anybody's guess whether it will work though(50/50!)

 

grantsmb,

Can you clear up the Lisboa Zoo gorilla make-up (1.3).

I guess there are:
M Cuko (wildborn 1972)
F Baka (wildborn?, arrived 1991)
F Anguka (captive-born?)
F Ulca (captive-born? Koeln) arrived 11/2006


Is F Baka wildborn?
When did Anguka arrive and from where?

Can you find out for us?

 

F. Baka(Bak) wildborn 1984. in Lisbon 1991 (ex circus)
F. Anguka. captive born, came from Taronga Park Sydney (via Adelaide). born Apenheul 1994.(parents; Kibabu x Frala) Her group sent to Australia in 1996.
F.Ulca. captive born 1981 at Stuttgart(Banjo x Undi) in Koln since 1984. (Has never bred at Koln(?))

 

Correction. Ulca bred once at Koln in 1990. This daughter 'Undi' was later sent to Bristol zoo where she produced one male baby 'Djengi' before she died.
Djengi is now in Schmiding, Austria. He is Ulca's only descendant.
Presumably her virtual non- breeding status is why she has been moved...

At Lisbon I would imagine its unlikely 'Ulca' will breed with Cuko, though its possible of course. The most likely female to breed would be the youngest- 'Anguka' -obviously.

 

I think the problem in Cologne was/is that the silverback Kim is very "picky" about the females. He likes two (Gina and N`Datwa) and breeds with them but pretty much ignores the other two (Kibi and Ulca). Thankfully Ulca has been moved now. The zoo should do the same with Kibi as soon as possible since she is wild born and has never bred, she is 30 now and maybe she could have a baby if she were moved to another group.

 

This is a very common trait in zoo silverbacks. The male has one or two favourites he'll breed with, and others he doesn't like or won't mate with.
Kim and Kibi came as small babies and grew up together at Koln as platonic partners, so there's a mating 'taboo'. You're right that Kibi could still possibly breed if given a new partner. They should definately try it.

Another scenario is where the silverback becomes bored with his females and stops mating them altogether. Yet if new younger ones are introduced, he'll immediately get interested in them. At Frankfurt, Matz- now the oldest silverback in Europe- still breeds with the younger females in the group, but hasn't done with the older ones for many years...