Howletts Gorillas update » Howletts Wild Animal Park

Howletts Gorillas update
02-09-2007

Has anyone been to Howletts in recent months?

I'm interested to know if the Gorillas in the kitchen garden area(older cages) have been moved around at all.

Bitam's group occupied the furthest Gorillarium, but since Bitam died over a year ago, his very small group of the very oldest females(Mouila, Baby Doll and Juju) plus Juju's latest offspring,'Bitanu' have been still living in it.

Kouillou's group had the other Gorillarium. The youngest Djanghou's group were living in the oldest run of cages.

I was wondering if they have changed them over at all, to give Djangou's group more room, or by now perhaps even added the 3 old females into one of the other two groups?

Anyone?

02-09-2007

I don't know the answer to your question but there is a good forum on the Howletts and Port Lympne website.
totallywild.net :: Childrens Forum :: Index

The forum has various sections including a section for keeper questions, and the keepers do respond to questions (and there is a birth's section also where some births are posted).

02-09-2007

Yep, thanks, I hadn't thought of trying that but I'll give it a go....

02-09-2007

how do you join this ?

03-09-2007

Hi. To join you can register at the top of the home page, or using this link totallywild.net :: Childrens Forum :: Register

06-06-2008

Has anyone got any idea how the gorillas born at Howletts then sent to Africa are getting on? Its been a while since they went over and there was a link on the website to a diary informing us on how they were getting on. This though hasn't been updated in nearly a year now so didn't know if anyone had gathered anythin from chats with keepers or any other sources of info

08-11-2008

BBC NEWS | England | Kent | NHS surgeon guides op on gorilla

Tambabi had to have an operation...

Female Gorilla to be exported to Indonesia
30-11-2008

Zoo News Digest , number 566 , reports that Ranungun Zoo is to receive a 7/8 year old femal gorilla from Howletts . She will be sent to join the 3 males Kumbo , Kiki and Komum who were sent from Howletts in 2002 . ( I thought 4 were originally sent ) .

In exchange Howletts will receive 12 Indonesian primates - 10 already sent - with the final 2 after the gorilla has been received .

I think Howletts has received a number of female grizzled langurs , more moloch gibbons and the pair of Tonkean macaques in the last year - presumably these are all part of the exchange . Anybody know more about this deal ?

30-11-2008

I wonder which female Gorilla it will be.

There were indeed 4 males sent to Ranungun. Presumably one has died. Maybe they now want to try making up a breeding pair. The previous Howletts head Gorilla keeper works there (or he did).

I hope the last two Indonesian primates in the exchange prove to be more Tonkean macaques. A single pair seems not much of a start for breeding.

01-12-2008

Does anyone know the exact numbers and sex of grizzled langurs and moloch gibbons as part of the exchange deal?

Please note that the Jakarta deal is commensurate with 3 staff from Jakarta Zoo staying for 3 months at Port Lympne for training in gorilla management. I would hope this will entail further regular exchanges and promoting good husbandry skills and zoo management for Jakarta Zoo. The BOS association is partial sponsor/owner with Port Lympne of the Primate Center. Just recently, they were updating the orang utan exhibits too ...!!!

Latest Gorilla Birth
07-12-2008

The website reports a recent birth of a female baby to Foufou(16) in Djala's group at Port Lympne - her third after Yene(8) and M'Passa(5) . There are now 25 gorillas at Port Lympne and 72 between the 2 collections .

Three hand-reared babies , including Tiya featured on 'Roar' were transferred to Gabon in the summer .

27-01-2009

Various articles about Ranungun Zoo in Zoo News Digest this week - generally critical , particularly the bad conditions most of the orang utans live in .

There is also mention of the planned export of a female gorilla from Howletts and the male gorillas already there . Kijoum ,the youngest of the 4 male gorillas sent from Howletts in 2002 , died in 2008 from a stress-related stomach illness .

03-02-2009

As far as I know (if you are talking about the enbclosure furthest from the entrance) a group of older females were moved into that enclosure, one then to their supprise gave birth. As they now had a group without a dominant male I think they moved some around and created a new group in that enclosure with the older females, a new silver back and a few other younger females. I don't know if this is 100% what has happened but I frequently go to the park and this is what I peiced together from my visits

03-02-2009

None of the above happened. I have revisited there since I asked the question- what happened was a straight enclosure swap a few months ago- a coupl of juveniles have been added to the group of old females, but that's all.

03-02-2009

Hmm well I think it was mentioned on Roar but maybe I got it wrong

There is a silver back in that group though as I did a behaviour study on the group. Clearly as you say it was an enclosure swap not adding a new group as I thought. Wonder where the females went then because I know that there are silver backs in each group there.