The great ape exchange

Rick Nathanson, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
·2 min read

Apr. 22—ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Marcus, the 35-year-old male Western lowland gorilla who has resided at the ABQ BioPark Zoo since 1987, has departed to become part of a breeding program in a neighboring state's zoo.

Meanwhile, Kojo, a 19-year-old male from the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has taken up residence at the BioPark Zoo.

The name of the zoo where Marcus has been sent will be made public after he is out of quarantine and placed in his new habitat with three females and their offspring, BioPark Zoo manager Lynn Tupa said Thursday.

Marcus was born at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens and came to the BioPark Zoo shortly after.

"Of course we were sad to say goodbye to Marcus, who had been with us since he was just a few years old," Tupa said. "Marcus was a confident silverback here at the BioPark and we hope he will take on that role in his new troop."

The transfers were recommended as part of the Western lowland gorilla Species Survival Plan, managed by the AZA, or Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

It is hoped that Kojo, who will be put on display in his BioPark Zoo habitat shortly, will also breed in his new habitat, where he will live with females Matadi, Nia Lewa and Samantha. The BioPark Zoo now has eight Western lowland gorillas in its collection, Tupa said.

Western lowland gorillas are native to a number of countries in central, western and equatorial Africa. Even though it is the most abundant of four subspecies of gorillas, it is still classified as critically endangered by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Factors threatening the existence of all gorilla subspecies include poaching and hunting, disease and logging and land encroachment, according to gorilla and conservation organizations.

In the wild, Western lowland gorillas stand from 4 feet to 5 1/2 feet tall. Mostly herbivores, the male of the species can weigh from 350 to 400 pounds and females from 200 to 275 pounds, Tupa said. Their average lifespan is 30 to 40 years in the wild and somewhat longer in captivity.

Western lowland gorillas live in groups in which one dominant male silverback controls several females and youngsters. These large primates are normally quiet and generally peaceful animals. Researchers consider them to be quite intelligent. They use a wide array of vocalizations to communicate with other members, and in captivity have demonstrated the ability to learn rudimentary sign language to communicate with their human handlers.