10/29/2023 0 Comments Gladys porter zoo gorillasNative to the lowland forests of Africa, Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered due to habitation loss and trade in bush meat. Moja may be gone, but his magnificence lives on.” Kiazi’s first baby was born in January of 2013, and as part of the loan agreement, was recently returned to Cincinnati for foster rearing by adult female gorillas there. His most recent progeny resulted from a pairing with Kiazi, a young female that was placed at Gladys Porter Zoo on loan from the Cincinnati Zoo late in 2011. Burchfield continued, “Despite the fact that Moja had already sired quite a few babies, the Association of Zoo’s and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan for Western lowland gorillas called for Moja to continue to produce offspring here. He sired 13 offspring during his 16 years at the Gladys Porter Zoo, and will always be remembered by Zoo staff and visitors for his grandiose stature and calm disposition.ĭr. Moja was born on Maat Zoo Miami and was transferred to the Gladys Porter Zoo on breeding loan July 3, 1997. Initial indications implicate cardiac disease. Zoo veterinary staff are currently performing a necropsy exam to begin the process of determining the exact cause of his death. His most recent cardiac exam was performed last year, and as no deteriorating progression of his heart condition was detected at the time, his medication regimen remained the same. Upon diagnosis, he was placed on medication. “He was both gentle and caring towards the members of his family.”Ĭoncerns about his health were raised in September 2010 when he was diagnosed with heart disease, the most common cause of death in captive male gorillas in the United States. Patrick Burchfield, the Zoo’s Executive Director. “Moja was a trim, fit animal – the perfect picture of a magnificent silverback male,” said Dr. Minutes before his death, Moja was seen playfully pounding his chest and hooting at Lamydoc, the Zoo’s gorilla family patriarch. The Gladys Porter Zoo family mourns the sudden death of Moja, the Zoo’s 29-year-old silverback male Western lowland gorilla.Ī gorilla keeper was stunned after Moja’s sudden collapse in his behind-the-scenes quarters shortly after 10 a.m. Moja’s sudden death shocked zoo officials
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |