Detroit Zoo welcomes 4 new gorillas from Cincinnati, Chicago

Nour Rahal, Detroit Free Press
Updated ·2 min read

After saying goodbye to three gorilla brothers earlier in the summer, the Detroit Zoo has welcomed four new gorillas — one male and three females.

"Three of the gorillas — Mshindi, Tulivu and Bandia — arrived from the Cincinnati Zoo, where they lived together in a troop since 2019," announced the Detroit Zoo in a news release. "The fourth, Nayembi, moved from Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo."

Mshindi, a newly introduced male silverback gorilla to the Detroit Zoological Society in Royal Oak, checks out his surroundings on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023.
Mshindi, a newly introduced male silverback gorilla to the Detroit Zoological Society in Royal Oak, checks out his surroundings on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023.

Mshindi, the new troop's sole male gorilla, is a 35-year-old silverback whose name signifies "winner" in Swahili, according to the zoo. Among the females, there's 25-year-old Bandia, whose name stands for “homemade doll or image” in Swahili, 19-year-old Talivu, which translates to "quiet" in Swahili, and 10-year-old Nayembi, meaning "to sing" in Lingala.

Bandia is a newly introduced gorilla to the Detroit Zoological Society in Royal Oak. Her name means “homemade doll or image” in Swahili.
Bandia is a newly introduced gorilla to the Detroit Zoological Society in Royal Oak. Her name means “homemade doll or image” in Swahili.

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The previous three gorillas, Chipua, Kongo-Mbeli and Pendeka, were half-brothers who spent approximately two decades at the Detroit Zoo before their transfer to the Cincinnati Zoo in July, according to the release. All the transfers were recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Gorilla Species Survival Plan.

Tulivu, a newly introduced gorilla to the Detroit Zoological Society in Royal Oak, finds a perch in her new habitat on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023.
Tulivu, a newly introduced gorilla to the Detroit Zoological Society in Royal Oak, finds a perch in her new habitat on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023.

The Detroit Zoo is hosting a welcome party on Sept. 2 and 3 to celebrate the arrival of Mshindi, Tulivu, Bandia and Nayembi. Visitors will be able to learn more about the new gorillas from the zoo's animal care team during habitat discussions and special animal enrichments at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. on both event days.

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Guests can find the three gorillas housed in the zoo's Great Apes of Harambee habitat, along with 13 chimpanzees. The 4-acre, naturalistic habitat features indoor and outdoor viewing areas; the space underwent a series of improvements in preparation for the new troop's arrival.

Nayembi, a female gorilla munches down on some fresh kale in her habitat at the Detroit Zoological Society in Royal Oak on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023.
Nayembi, a female gorilla munches down on some fresh kale in her habitat at the Detroit Zoological Society in Royal Oak on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023.

“The four new gorillas are already making themselves at home, and they are wonderful additions to the Detroit Zoo,” said Tami Brightrall, associate curator of mammals for the Detroit Zoological Society, in the release. “They each have unique personalities, and we can’t wait for our members and guests to get to know them.”

Contact Nour Rahal: nrahal@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Zoo gets 4 new gorillas from Cincinnati, Chicago