Jasiri the gorilla to join Calgary Zoo this fall
The Calgary Zoo's gorillas are getting a new roommate.
Jasiri, a 21-year-old silverback, will be moving in with a band of female western lowland gorillas at the zoo this fall once he completes a quarantine period and health checks.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP) recommended Jasiri move to Calgary from Atlanta so he could form his own family group, according to a press release from Zoo Atlanta.
"Jasiri was born here at Zoo Atlanta, so he is very special to us," said Hayley Murphy, deputy director of Zoo Atlanta. "While he'll be missed here, we're excited for him to have this opportunity to start his own family."
Male gorillas typically leave their families to form their own groups in the wild.
Murphy said the silverback's relocation highlights the importance of cooperative programs like SSPs, which work to maintain healthy zoo populations of critically endangered species.
Western lowland gorillas are a critically endangered species.
The gorilla population has declined by more than 60 per cent over the last 20 to 25 years, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
Disease, poaching and habitat destruction are all threats to the population's survival.
They can be found in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of Congo and Angola.
The species can be distinguished from other gorillas by their smaller size, shorter hair, wider skull, brown-grey coats and auburn chests.
The World Wildlife Fund says all gorilla species — including cross river gorillas, mountain gorillas and eastern lowland gorillas — are at risk.
