Cincinnati Zoo welcomes 3 male gorillas to Gorilla World

CINCINNATI (WKRC) — The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden added three new bachelor gorillas. Chipua (Chip), Pendeka (Pende) and Kongo arrived from the Detroit Zoo earlier this month.

The move facilitates the Species Survival Plan (SSP) goals for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) gorilla population, which includes all gorillas housed in United States facilities accredited by AZA.

“We are excited to house this bachelor troop, as it is the first time the Cincinnati Zoo has housed this type of troop structure in its long history of caring for gorillas,” said Victoria McGee, Zoological Manager of Primates, in a press release. “We look forward to sharing this experience with our Zoo members and guests.”

Bachelor troops serve an important purpose, existing in native habitat regions throughout Central Africa and other AZA facilities. Compared to family troops, bachelors have different social dynamics. Aggression is an important behavior in these troops; sometimes this looks like displacement between two individuals, vocal conflict, or a physical altercation. While these events may look concerning to people, they serve an important purpose in gorilla society. Aggression helps to establish and maintain a hierarchy, teaching all the gorillas in the troop how to appropriately interact with each other and navigate their dynamic social structure.