On Tuesday, the Antwerp Zoo welcomed a new female gorilla named Kiki from the Heidelberg Zoo (Germany). The young 7- year old gorilla, suffers from epilepsy, a conditionthat set her apart from the other gorillas in the German zoo. Kiki is a lowland gorilla from the warm tropical forests of West Central Africa. Due to her fragile health, she weighs only 40 pounds, unlike other members of her species that weigh between 53 and 104 kilos.
The animal will gradually introduced to the Antwerp group, consisting of the male Kumba and females Victoria, Amahoro and Mambele. The integration process "will continuously be adjusted based on feedback from the group,” stated the Zoo. "Two trainers Heidelberg will be here for the first few days. First, Kiki will make visual contact with the other gorillas. Then a phased introduction will be conducted separately with each gorilla. The whole process will take about ten days" before Kiki is presented to the public.
The Antwerp Zoo hopes to "bring more confidence and tranquility" to the young gorilla.
(Source: Belga)
