The future of gorillas depends on zoos working together
Two Western lowland gorillas just arrived at Louisville Zoo’s Gorilla Forest from Zoo Knoxville in Knoxville, Tennessee. Obi and Andi are half-sisters and will hopefully create Louisville’s next family group with 29-year-old male gorilla, Kicho. Their arrival piqued my curiosity about how zoos coordinate for breeding purposes as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan Program. The Louisville Zoo once again welcomed me in to spend time with Steve Taylor, their assistant director of conservation. The zoo’s Gorilla Forest opened in 2002 and is considered ...