A new bachelor gorilla group has arrived!
Chipua (tip), pendeka (pende) and macaw arrived at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens in early July 2023. The move furthers the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Program (SSP) goals for gorilla populations. Includes all gorillas held in AZA-accredited US facilities. It’s also the first time in the Cincinnati Zoo’s long history of caring for gorillas to house a herd of this kind, so we’re excited to house this herd of bachelors. We look forward to sharing this experience with zoo members and guests.
Bachelor units serve an important purpose and are present in Aboriginal habitat areas and other AZA facilities throughout Central Africa. As young males age, they leave their natal family group and eventually form a family group of their own. Males live alone, around other family groups, or in all-male groups. This period is essential for males who need to mature physically and socially before successfully leading their family herds. At AZA facilities, these singles corps provide social opportunities for individuals who need to leave the birth group. Sometimes this serves as an intermittent step before establishing a family troop, while other times the all-male troop can become an established social unit lasting decades.
Singles have different social dynamics compared to the family army. Aggression is an important behavior in these armies. In some cases, this looks like a confrontation, a vocal clash, or a physical altercation between his two individuals. These events may seem worrying to people, but they serve an important purpose in gorilla society. Aggression helps establish and maintain hierarchy, teaching all gorillas in the herd how to interact properly and navigate dynamic social structures.
Gorillas are injured when an attack occurs. Scars are perfectly normal, but they can look a little scary. The location of the wound and the severity of the wound can tell a lot about the social development of the unit. When an injury occurs, our animal care and veterinary teams monitor everything closely to make sure healing is proceeding as normal. If necessary, gorillas can be given drugs to prevent infection or relieve pain. It is closely evaluated every day to support happy and healthy gorillas.
As Chip, Pende and Kongo adjust to their new homes, we look forward to providing them with their daily care and supporting their social needs. We look forward to welcoming your children to your new home!
Meet Silverback!
Chipua
Chipua, or Chip, was born on September 6, 1996 at the Bronx Zoo. His name is Swahili for “bud, growth, sprout”. He has a short, stocky body and beautiful eyes.He weighs around 400 pounds and is very picky when it comes to his food
Chipua takes gorilla politics very seriously. He was the leader of the Bachelorettes for a long time until his youngest brother Kongou had a growth spurt and took over in his size.
Chip is the gorilla featured in the video with Groundhog.
Pendeka
Pendeka, or Pende, was born on January 14, 1998 at the Bronx Zoo. His name means “beloved” in Swahili. He can be recognized by his more elongated face than the other two of him. He weighs around 370 pounds. This gorilla is the most likely to be sighted bipedal in its habitat. It often occurs when it is raining outside, but has also been observed while walking in the snow. He does it more often than his half-brother. If it is raining and he starts walking upright, he will tend to stick out his tongue to catch water as he moves from one side of his habitat to the other.
Kongo
Kongo is the most dominant gorilla in the group due to its size and height. Mbeli means “little” in Swahili, hence Little Maca, named after his great-grandfather Macaque. Weighing about 430 pounds, it has long legs and is quite tall for a gorilla. He has lazy eyes and is really confident and dominant. He’s calmed down over the last few years, but he still goes to court when necessary. Despite being the youngest, he uses his physique to his advantage.