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SEATTLE - The last day to see one of Woodland Park Zoo's beloved gorillas is Aug. 31, as the zoo prepares to move him to a new home.
Kitoko, the 6-year-old male western lowland gorilla, has reached the subadult stage of his life, where males naturally leave their natal group, or birth family. This milestone means he will be moved to prepare for his next life chapter: entering his bachelor group in a new location.
"Kitoko has entered the phase of testing the patience of family members, especially the females. He has always been adventurous, energetic and playful, but as a 6-year-old male he's becoming rowdier, trying to push his weight around while the adults keep him in check," Robert said.
A bachelor group is essentially where male gorillas learn from each other to best navigate their society before maturing into a silverback. The zoo said this stage of life can last several years.
What we know:
Kitoko was born at the zoo on March 4, 2020, which the zoo describes as the first significant birth at their location during the pandemic. He was also the first baby born to Uzumma, his mother. Staff members documented his growth across the zoo's digital platforms, building a fanbase on social media during the pandemic.
The curator of mammalogy at Woodland Park Zoo said Kitoko brought joy to many during the time of social distancing and throughout his time at the zoo. Further, his birth marked a baby noon at the zoo in 2020.
What we don't know:
The name of the zoo that Kitoko will move to is undisclosed, until he officially arrives. The Woodland Park Zoo is holding off on releasing the new zoo's name to preserve a level of excitement and respect for the announcement of his arrival.
The Woodland Park Zoo is working with the Gorilla Species Survival Plan, which identifies a new home for Kitoko. The plan recommended he move to a zoo that allows him to socialize with an all-male group of gorillas.
Dig deeper:
Kitoko will not travel alone on his journey to his new home—He will be accompanied by a gorilla caretaker who will help him settle into his new life. The Woodland Park Zoo has begun crate training sessions in a non-public area of the facility to ease him into the process.
One of the gorilla keepers at the zoo described Kitoko's move as bittersweet, expressing excitement for his new journey and emphasizing it would be the best decision for his livelihood, while mentioning how much they would miss him.
There will be 12 gorillas remaining at the Woodland Park Zoo, including six others outside his family group.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Woodland Park Zoo.
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