Gorillas in Germany
a review on the last ten years and an outlook to the future
31.12.1993 - 31.12.2003

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Germany has the most zoological gardens and animal parks of all European countries. Furthermore we can here find the most existing old zoos and thus the greatest zoo history alive. Not only did some German zoos start the husbandry of the gorilla back in the early twentieth century and some others joined in this special circle of gorilla-keeping zoos from 1950s and 1960s on but also the fact that some dealers have been closely connected to zoos gave Germany the lead in having the greatest number of gorillas in Europe until John Aspinall’s gorilla troops started their prolific career. But Germany is still the leading country in Europe with the most zoos which either had gorillas in their stock or still keep them today.

However this history is certainly not as splendid as it seems looking at the numbers only. Taking a closer look at the facilities which most zoos provided for their gorillas even from the 1960s onwards, one will be severely shocked. Enclosures at Duisburg Zoo, Berlin Friedrichsfelde and Dresden are only a selection of those horrible places which created a hard time many wild born and the few captive born gorillas had to endure during the years of their captivity.

Fortunately a general change in the zoos view towards gorilla husbandry took place almost all over Europe during the last ten years. In the course of the big European “zoo modernising wave” some zoos changed, enlarged and refurbished the exhibits and facilities for their gorillas and some built completely new quarters, houses and exhibits at all.

  Number of gorillas  

35,45 animals

• Female “Oya” is transferred to Krefeld from Zurich Zoo, Switzerland as new breeding female on 02.03.

• On 26.05. Berlin Zoo opens the new 500m² outdoor exhibit for its second gorilla group led by the old male “Knorke”.

• “Mutasi” last offspring to “Banjo” and tenth to female “Mimi” is born on 12.06. It’s only “Mimi’s” second baby to be mother reared.

• In autumn Nuremberg’s old couple “Fritz” and “Delphi” are taken out of the zoo and being brought to Gutshof Middelsbüch the zoos crop farm close to Nuremberg. During the construction phase of the new outdoor exhibits the ape house stays vacated.

• First birth at Hanover Zoo, female “Naomi” is born to “Arti” and “Zazie” on 25.11. Unfortunately “Naomi” is being hand reared.

• Male“Toni” being born at Munich Hellabrunn on 04.12. to “Roututu” and “Bagira” after a six year break in breeding success. “Roututu” starts to breed a second generation of gorillas at Munich Zoo with three new females “Bagira”, “Neema” and “Sonja”.

• Stuttgart nursery 2,2 juveniles “Rafiki” (Zurich) and “Awali” (Artis) as well as “Grace” (Dublin) and “Sheila” (Rotterdam) are being hand raised. No infant gorilla in none out in 1994.

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Krefeld
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Berlin Zoo indoors - March 2003
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Berlin Zoo indoors - March 2003

Berlin Zoo indoors - March 2003

• Female “Kamba” arrives at Duisburg from Leipzig Zoo on 12.01.

• On 13.04. male “Pole Pole” is sent to Loro Parque, Spain from Munich to join five other males at the first official European long term bachelor group. He is being accompanied by his brother “Rafiki” coming from Stuttgart nursery.

• On 17.05. Dresden Zoos last gorilla, male “Benno”, is transferred to Leon Zoo in Mexico. The Dresden female “Dima” died in March 1993. Both have been living separated for years in the old - still existing and inhabited by animals - carnivore/ape house at Dresden Zoo. Gorilla husbandry at Dresden Zoo ended at this time.

• Saarbrucken Zoo gets two juvenile females “Quenta” and “Ruya” from Zurich Zoo, Switzerland on 20.09. On 23.09. Frankfurt Zoo sends young male “Horst” to Dublin as new breeding male. The 26 year old Frankfurt born female “Salome” accompanies him.

• On 14.10. male “Schorsch” is send to Loro Parque, Spain from Nuremberg to join five other males at the first official European long term bachelor group.

• The young female “Dian” is being added to the already large group at Frankfurt Zoo on 26.11.1995. The Arnhem born juvenile arrives from Munich. Stuttgart Wilhelma makes space for its remaining gorilla band with sending three animals abroad. Mother reared male “Maajabu” goes to the bachelor group at Loro Parque, Spain on 14.06., female "Momo" goes to Edinburgh, Scotland on 29.07. and male “Efata” is being sent to Kolmården Djurpark, Sweden on 19.10.1995 to replace the non breeding male there.

• At Stuttgart nursery 0,2 “Coco” (wild born, confiscated in Barcelona) and “Bikira” (Artis) in and 1,1 out in 1995. “Sheila” went to Apenheul in July.

• On 14.03.1996 “Bokito” is born at Berlin Zoo to “Derrick” and “M’penzi”. He is the first hand reared baby gorilla of some more to be artificially raised during the following years at Berlin.

• At Hanover Zoo two females “Hakuna” and “Melima” are born in January and March. New indoor facilities are being added to the old chimp quarters in the “Rainforest House”. The gorillas and chimps change enclosures previous to the opening of the new outdoor exhibit “Gorilla Mountain” which is opened Whitsunday.

• Subadult male “Kisoro” send to join Basle Zoos gorilla group on 06.12. from Krefeld Zoo.

• Female “Oya” has a female baby stillborn on 07.12. It’s the last offspring to male “Massa” to date.

• On 17.12. the juvenile pair “Awali” and “Grace” is sent to Wuppertal Zoo from Stuttgart nursery.

• At Stuttgart nursery no infant gorilla in and 1,1 out in 1996.  

• Cologne Zoo sends the two adult males “Claus” and “Pertinax” to the new bachelor project at Paignton Zoo on 22.04.

• Krefeld Zoo gets new female “Muna” in from Basle Zoo on 30.04. and sends female “Irala” to Apenheul on 26.05.

• End of April Wuppertal Zoo sends two males “Bukavu” and “Yangu” to the new gorilla complex at Beauval Zoo, France and male “Awali” to join the bachelor group at Paignton Zoo, England. Two days later the two males “TamTam” and “Nangai” arrive from Basle Zoo, Switzerland.

• A new ca. 2000m² outdoor exhibit and enlarged outside runs behind the ape house are inaugurated at Nuremberg Tiergarten on 15.05. Females “Lena” from Saarbrucken Zoo and “Bianka” from Loro Parque, Spain join the old couple “Fritz” and “Delphi” in April. The latter have returned from the zoos crop farm in April as well. 13 year old male “Yaounde” arrives together with “Lena” from Tenerife. He is intended to join the females to found a new group.

• At Stuttgart nursery 2,3 infants in and none out in 1997. The arrivals are “Gugas” (wild born, confiscated in Lisbon) and “Nasibu” (Belfast) as well as “Luena” (Munich), “Chuma” (“Artis”) and “Doba” (Rotterdam).  

• Confiscated wild born female “Coco” returns to Barcelona Zoo in January after being at Stuttgart nursery since 1995.

• Hanover’s first born gorilla “Naomi” is being transferred to Kolmården Djurpark, Sweden on 26.01.

• Cologne Zoo sends female “Undi” to join male “Claus” at Bristol Zoo´s new gorilla quarters on 03.03. Apenheul sends female “N’Datwa” to Cologne on 06.07. in exchange.

• Leipzig continues to empty its ape house with sending female gorilla “Virunga” to Romagne, France on 28. May. Nuremberg joins in this transfer and sends male “Yaounde” with her. During his year at Germany “Yaounde” injured the females to be mixed with him several times and thus the zoo people decided him to be a non compatible individual. Regarding his situation today – lucky guy “Yaounde” !

• In June hand reared baby “Kumbuka”, last offspring of Keke, arrives at Munich from Belfast Zoo.

• The old male “Copo” is put down at Rostock Zoo on 26.06. being about 38 years old. He arrived from Zurich in 1977.

• On 02.10. the young pair “Gugas” and “Bikira” goes to Belfast Zoo, Northern-Ireland from Stuttgart nursery.

• The old Munster Zoo male “Kimba” go to Russia on 07.10. Rostov-on-Don Zoo takes him for their old solitary female.

• At Stuttgart nursery 1,1 infants “Kumbuka” and “Iringa” in from Munich Hellabrunn and 1,2 juveniles out in 1997.

• The year starts with the arrival of the remaining gorilla couple from Prague Zoo at Rostock. “Assumbo” and “Nigra” leave Prague so that the old primate house there can be demolished.

• In March female “Effie” arrived at Berlin Zoo from Givskud, Denmark. Subadult female “Yola” goes to la Palmyre in exchange and Givskud gets a female from La Palmyre to complete the circle of transfers.

• After six non breeding years at Saarbrucken 25 year old “Toni” is send away to Kiev Zoo to make space for the new male “Pesco” who arrives from Apenheul in October.

• On 17.03. male “Kumba” is being transferred to Artis Amsterdam, Netherlands after being at Duisburg since 1976. Female “Moseka” arrives at Duisburg from Heidelberg in March and in April “Kamba” goes to Dvur Kralove Czech Republic from Duisburg as well. “Moseka” continues her journey to Romagne, France on 16.11.

• Heidelberg Zoo sends male “Jitu” to Blackpool Zoos new gorilla quarters in England. At Heidelberg Zoo the only twelve year old gorilla and chimp indoor exhibits are refurbished and covered with a steel mesh to give the apes more space. In November two young females “Doba” and “Chuma” arrive from Stutgart nursery after the refurbishment of the enclosure is almost finished.

• At Leipzig Zoo the two last gorillas “Gaidi” and “Babsy” leave for Moscow Zoo, Russia in November. Shortly after that the old ape house - only dating from the early 1980s - is completely demolished.

• At Stuttgart nursery 0,2 juveniles out and none arriving in 1999.

• In February eight year old male “Bobo” is sent to Heidelberg’s new indoor quarters from Berlin Zoo. He is the son of “Dufte” who became famous in 1992 when she naturally raised his half sister “Yola” together with him as twins.

• In March five year old male “Akili” arrives at Hodenhagen Safari Park together with nine year old “Dango” who came all the way from Budapest, Hungary. Both are property of Frankfurt Zoo and in April they will meet old and former Blackpool male “Kumba” who arrives from Beauval Zoopark, France. To date the people at Hodenhagen never succeeded to mix the two with “Kumba” due to totally inadequate new facilities and exhibits there. The “Amboseli Gorilla und Chimpanzee Reserve” is officially opened at the beginning of the season in April.

• On Sunday afternoon 14.05. the only sixteen year old male “Arti” falls into the deep water moat at Hanover Zoos new “Gorilla Mountain” and drowns. The incident had been predicted by keepers and ape experts several times before. In November “Arti’s” last offspring “Awembe” is born to “Katie”. It will be Hanover Zoos last gorilla birth ever since.

• Both Leipzig Zoo and Munich Hellabrunn continue to build their new great ape projects in 2000.

• Stuttgart’s nursery makes space for new arrivals with sending juvenile male “Nasibu” to Kolmården, Sweden in April and Munich born female “Luena” to Rotterdam in December.

• At Stuttgart nursery 1,1 juveniles out and none arriving in 2000.

• Beginning the year Leipzig Zoo takes 1,2 five year old offspring from the Zurich group in January. The male “Vimoto” is intended to go to a new bachelor group in France later in the year. In March Arnhem sends its group leader “Gorgo” with female “Bebe” and daughter “Ruby” to Leipzig. Due to severe start-up problems with the Zurich trio “Gorgo’s” favourite female in Arnhem “N’diki” follows him to Leipzig in October with their son “N’kwango”. Leipzig celebrates the inauguration of the new great ape complex “Pongoland” in April.

• “Delphi” Nuremberg’s old five time mother dies on 24.06. In September Hanover Zoo sends young female “Hakuna” as substitute prior to the arrival of new male “Buzandi” at Hanover from Melbourne Zoo, Australia on 18.09.

• Stuttgart Wilhelma looses its old group leader “Banjo” on 22.08. after surgery. Only four weeks later the new male “Kibo” arrives from Cologne Zoo being eleven years old.

• Completely unexpectedly Wuppertal male “Nangai” dies after being infected by a fox tape worm on 04.11.

• At Munich the gorillas are transferred to the new accommodation only a few hundred metres away from the old quarters. Even solitary male “Porgy” moves to the new home. After some delays during the preceding month the new “Jungle House” is officially opened on 27. November. It provides 400m² (group) and 190m² (solitary male) indoors and 1000m² outdoors.

• On 04.12. Munster Zoo sends its three gorillas - male “Makokou” with his two females - to Givskud Zoo on loan during the enlargement and refurbishment phase of the Munster outdoor exhibit.

• The new Hanover male “Buzandi” repeatedly attacks twelve month old “Awembe”. Loosing a finger and being injured time and time again “Awembe” is pulled and sent to Stuttgart nursery in December.

• At Stuttgart nursery nine month old male “Djengi” arrives in April after his mother “Undi” died at Bristol Zoo due to cancer. St. Martin la Plaine Zoo, France sends ten days old male “Gincko” on 27.09. No juvenile leaves the nursery in 2001.

• At Frankfurt Zoo male baby “Ituri” is born on 18.02. to “Matze” and “Rebecca”. At approximately 44 - 45 years of age “Matze” holds the world record for being the oldest sire in captivity. It is mother “Rebecca’s” fifth baby to be excellently mother reared.

• The first of the Zurich trio is being sent abroad. “Vimoto” joins two other juveniles at the newly founded group at La Boissière du Doré, France on 03.04.

• Munster zoo continues to build a new outdoor exhibit and refurbish the old tiny one into a comfortable, well furnished room for the cold times. It’s located between the original, not changed, indoor quarters and the new outside exhibit.

• The vicious circle of hand rearing gorilla infants continues at Berlin Zoo with young female “Effie” giving birth to a female baby on 25.07. Furthermore bad luck hits Berlin Zoo with the unexpected death of zoo darling and ´super mother´ “Dufte” in December.

• “Vizuri” a young Zurich born female goes from Leipzig to Duisburg on 27.06. for the opening of the new “Gorilla Bush”. At the day of the official opening in May no gorillas are willing to go outside. Actors in gorilla costumes run around on the outside exhibit to provide pictures for the local press.

• In November history is made at Heidelberg Zoo. The only just six year old female “Chuma” gives birth to a healthy male being the youngest mother ever. Jane Goodall, staying at Heidelberg by chance for giving lecture to students christens the baby by the name “Chuba”. Mother “Chuma” rears the offspring herself.

• Stuttgart nursery sends juvenile pair “Kumbuka” and “Iringa” to the new group at La Boissière, France. “Iringa” is supposed to go to Budapest Zoo later on as La Boissière will only keep males for accommodating an official bachelor group. Two female infant gorillas are being brought in at the nursery in January 2002. “N'yokumi” arrives from Arnhem and “Mayani” is the first baby of some more to follow originating from Barcelona Zoo.

• Berlin’s famous gorilla grandfather “Knorke” dies in February due to old age being about 40 years old. Some month later the two hand reared females from 2000 and 2001 are fully integrated into his former group with 46 and 44 year old “Fatou” and “Gigi”. Hand reared juvenile “Bokito” lives in this group as well.

• Heidelberg’s first gorilla baby “Chuba” dies on 19.03. due to mistreatment by the inexperienced parents.

• Munster Zoo welcomes two of its three gorillas back from Givskud Zoo. Female “Amani” remains at Givskud for she joined the “Samson group” month before and appears to be happy and protective for the two babies there. On first of April “Makokou” and old female “Fatima” arrives the same day as the juvenile female “Changa” from Frankfurt Zoo. The new complex “Africaneum” is officially inaugurated and presented to the public in July. The gorilla enclosure measures 1250m².

• In April and May the formerly successful Wilhelma gorilla group in Stuttgart celebrates two births after a nine year break. The new male “Kibo” proved to be fertile. Apenheul’s “Kolo” rears a son but “Mutasi’s” daughter dies after being pulled for hand rearing. The real surprise is almost 40 year old “Mimi” being late pregnant at the end of the year. If all goes well she will be the second oldest gorilla-mother in a zoo worldwide. “Kibo” seems to be very promising for future breeding purposes.

• In April “Berni” baby gorilla at Cologne Zoo died due to an infection.

• In May Hanover Zoo sends “Arti’s” first born son “Yeboah” to the new bachelor group in France being six years old.

• Rebecca’s fourth male offspring “Ituri” dies at Frankfurt Zoo being 18 month old. He dies in the summer - strangles himself with a rope hanging from the ceiling indoors.

• Female “Momo” being born at Stuttgart Wilhelma in 1982 returns to Germany from Edinburgh Zoo on 21.10. Duisburg takes her for the enlargement of the gorilla group living in new facilities. At Duisburg Zoo a second phase to renovate the old Äquatorium into a modern gorilla house will be started during the next years.

• In October Frankfurt sends the next male - the third, all sons of “Rebecca” - to a bachelor group. “Damisi” is being sent to Paignton Zoo to replace his brother “Richard” who went to Prague Zoo as breeding male.

• At Stuttgart nursery two infant males “Kivu” and “Kiondo” - grandsons of Snowflake - arrive from Barcelona Zoo in June. No one goes out from the nursery in 2003.

  Number of gorillas  

32,62 animals

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After 10 years there are still 16 zoos keeping gorillas in Germany. One zoo - Dresden - stopped the husbandry of gorillas and one safari park - Hodenhagen - got the species new in. The number of males remained almost the same after this ten year period but exchanges took place. Seven new males moved into the respective collections for breeding purposes. Due to some luck with females being born the number of females increased for 37 % from 45 to 62 individuals. Taking a look at the numbers ten years before and today one clearly recognizes a development.

During the last ten years Germany saw 34 gorilla births and one known miscarriage. From the first gorilla birth in Germany in 1965 until 1993 there have been 72 births and eight known miscarriages or premature stillbirths. Furthermore the number of wild born gorillas in Germany declined from 35 to 28 individuals. 3,1 died and 5,3 have been send abroad. 1,4 came into Germany since 1994.

Obviously the German population is well managed. Surplus males have been sent elsewhere and non-breeding males and females have been replaced in attempt to encourage new individuals to breed at new collections. Having experienced tremendous problems with placing zoo-born chimps the zoos now tend to prefer the husbandry of the gorilla rather than chimps which have been sent away and prevented from breeding at many collections. Gorilla babies are still welcome because until now there has always been ways to find a place for them. Anyway there are tendencies for a change. Already today the numbers of up-and-coming males which have to be taken out of their natal groups give reason for concern. Currently in Germany alone there are ten males which will need a place in the foreseeable future. We have to be aware of the fact that more small parks will keep gorillas - mostly males for sure - in the not-too-distant future. It is not that only big zoos will be able to take good care for their gorillas. I am sure some small collections will do a really good - or much better - job as well. But the experienced zoos have to train their keepers in advance and new zoos should get more support during the planning and construction phase to avoid many obvious mistakes which are still occurring too often. Especially in traditional and old style organized Germany more keepers should be called in as experts. Hodenhagen’s gorilla disaster should stay as the last really bad example for ever.

Two males - “Roututu” and “Matze” - started to breed with a new generation of females. One prolific breeder - “Arti” - died which is a huge setback for the German gorilla population especially because he bred with two wild born females and his successor seems to have problems with the group by now. Male “Fritz” at Nuremberg regularly mates since almost 30 years at Berlin Zoo, Dvur Kralove and Nuremberg with no success as male “Massa” does at Krefeld since seven years. Inexplicable is the four year fruitless time at Saarbrucken Zoo. Apenheul’s “Pesco” does mate both young females but no pregnancies have been confirmed yet. Hanover Zoo used to report the similar facts about its new male “Buzandi”. Obviously at the end of the year 2003 Buzandi got the right turn and now Hanover hopes for a new generation of gorillas sired by the genetically much valuable Melbourne male.  

More than 50 % of the gorilla keeping zoos in Germany improved the situation of their gorillas during the last decade. In fact it is nine out of 16. It seems a lot but in comparison to the rest of Europe it is not much. Almost all European collections having gorillas did something at the enclosures to improve the environment of their apes. Some of those who did not build anything new at least sent other species away to provide more space. Even Basle Zoo tried to give the gorillas a change in daily routine with giving them access to the tiny outdoor cage at the ape house from time to time. Many European zoos tried to make their gorillas familiar with a layer of wood chips.

In Germany there are some zoos where nothing at all was done. Unfortunately we are the country with the only gorilla group lacking an outdoor exhibit at all. Except excellent enrichment Krefeld Zoo still has done nothing for their apes to give them a change in daily environment after 28 years ! Other German zoos with a good worldwide reputation like Stuttgart and Wuppertal are lacking the minimum size and modernity of their respective facilities. The sterile environment at these zoos is absolutely unacceptable today. Fortunately some German zoos like Rostock, Frankfurt and Stuttgart at least have plans for completely new ape houses and exhibits.

It is a significant problem that zoo people have problems to design animal orientated gorilla exhibits. The tendency to absolutely anthropocentric design finds its completion at Hanover Zoos “Gorilla Mountain”. Surrounded by artificial rocks, fitted with rotten and absolutely useless trees and having a dangerous water moat and a waterfall in it this exhibit presents everything the visitor considers as “natural”. Unfortunately it doesn’t suit the ape’s needs in any respect. It seems impossible to keep any primate species in here - let alone gorillas. Seeing the banks of the water moat after the refurbishing in order to make it ´less dangerous´ would make every ape expert speechless. This way more drowning will be hard to avoid.