Love was in the air at London Zoo today as zookeepers matched new arrival Kiburi and his new ladies Mjukuu and Effie – and treated the western lowland gorillas to a heart-shaped piñata filled with tasty veggies and nutritious greens.
And as they celebrate their first Valentine’s Day together, zoo keepers have revealed the love match as a resounding success.
18-year-old silverback Kiburi, who joined the conservation zoo’s troupe last November as part of a European breeding program for the endangered species, has spent the last few months settling into his new home in the kingdom of the gorillas and the new females get to know his life in it.
Gorilla keeper Jo Barnes said: “Kiburi is definitely the strong, quiet guy and the girls worked hard to get his attention – but it’s clear he’s developed a genuine affection for Mjukuu and Effie.
“We’ve seen them grooming him and Mjukuu, the dominant female dog, is often caught gazing lovingly at Kiburi – all really good signs that she’s big fans of the strapping, 181kg new gorilla in her life.” are. If all is well, let’s hope it won’t be long before we hear baby gorilla feet clattering!”
The gorillas, who eat a whopping 5kg of food each day, made their way to the red piñata, and after Mjukuu – holding a bouquet of leafy greens – opened it, they made short work of their special Valentine’s Day menu, complete with sweet potato Appetizer, cucumber main course and corn dessert.
“Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered in the wild,” Jo added. “So, seeing Kiburi getting along so well with Mjukuu and Effie is real cause for celebration – bringing this new group of gorillas together will help protect this incredible species for the future, which is at the core of the zoo’s conservation values.”
Western lowland gorillas – the largest great apes – are native to the dense, remote rainforests of central Africa. The threat of poaching, habitat destruction and human-borne diseases have sadly decimated wild populations.
ZSL works to protect the species at London Zoo by participating in this vital breeding programme, whilst studying wildlife diseases at ZSL’s world-leading institute of zoology, working with partners in the field to strengthen wildlife protection and surveillance and empower local communities to fight wildlife crime.
Visitors can see Kiburi and his troupe, along with nearly 15,000 other incredible animals, at London’s legendary Conservation Zoo – the perfect meeting place for all animal lovers this Valentine’s Day. Book tickets online at www.londonzoo.org.
