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Joe the gorilla dies » Twycross Zoo

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  #1
Joe the gorilla dies
Old 24-09-2008
Joe, the 45 year old silverback gorilla has died.
Joe the Gorilla dies at Twycross Zoo - Birmingham Mail
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  #2
Old 24-09-2008
Sad news, he was one of my favourite Gorillas at Tywcross.

I remember him coming over a few times to check out me looking back at him.
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  #3
Old 24-09-2008
The silverback reached a respectable age (as did Matze at Frankfurt), so sad ... well he probably had a good life ...!

It is just changing of the guard now ... really ... and a CHANCE for Twycross World Primate Conservation Center ... to fully redeem itself.

Please Twycross Zoo management bring us please a suitable and "proven" silverback to finally initiate a long term vision of breeding these wonderful great apes at Twycross (instead of haphazardly and in unsuitable exhibits)!!!

Each silverback's death, is another's bread and butter ... (so to speak)
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  #4
Old 24-09-2008
Very sad news indead, was just comming to post as well.
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  #5
Old 24-09-2008
Very sad - I first encountered Joe over 35 years ago when he was living in what is now the original Chimpanzee Range of cages . He made us jump by beating on the glass .
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  #6
Old 24-09-2008
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Originally Posted by jelle View Post
Each silverback's death, is another's bread and butter ... (so to speak)
True in group situations, but not necessarily with poor old 'Joe'. As he never bred, and was living alone, its fairly irrelevant to the current groupings though it does leave an empty enclosure in the 2nd Gorilla House.

Joe(born c.1962) and his original partner 'Bongo' (who still lives at the zoo) were the first Gorillas there. He had three homes during his long life; 1. the old chimp cages. 2. the first Gorilla House. 3. a 'purpose built' section of the 2nd Gorilla house. He very much represented the 'old' Twycross and was undoubtedly their best known animal.

His illness must have been short as he looked fit and well in June, in fact in better condition than previous years.
Last edited by Pertinax; 24-09-2008 at 08:14 PM.
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  #7
Old 24-09-2008
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Originally Posted by Pertinax View Post
His illness must have been short as he looked fit and well in June, in fact in better condition than previous years.
I saw him about 10 days ago and although I wasn't familiar with him there was not anything obviously wrong.
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  #8
Old 25-09-2008
If they do not bring in a new male gorilla , a possible alternative would be to group the remaining gorillas in one building , freeing another building for one of the bonobo groups .
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  #9
Old 25-09-2008
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Originally Posted by Bele View Post
If they do not bring in a new male gorilla , a possible alternative would be to group the remaining gorillas in one building , freeing another building for one of the bonobo groups .
Not bad idea, but I doubt they will.
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  #10
Old 25-09-2008
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Originally Posted by Bele View Post
If they do not bring in a new male gorilla , a possible alternative would be to group the remaining gorillas in one building , freeing another building for one of the bonobo groups .
... the easiest way would be to bring the two females and juvenile Matadi from the other house, as the older house is better for introductions etc. This would make the newer house available for a group of Bonobos.

It would be perfectly feasible now to create a SINGLE Gorilla group. If they were also to add a younger breeding male (e.g. Dublin 'Kesho') he could take over as he matures. SamSam is old and quiet and very unlikely to be aggressive anyway. OR SamSam could be 'retired' into Joe's old half, with e.g. Bongo(non-breeder) for company, keeping the other three females and a new male on the other side. They wouldn't have to have a single gorilla again.

My guess is nothing may happen immediately though- except maybe the old trio being allowed to access Joe's old area as well....
Last edited by Pertinax; 25-09-2008 at 07:00 PM.
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  #11
Sam Sam - RIP
Old 27-10-2008
On a visit to Twycross on Friday a notice in the Gorilla House announced that Sam Sam had passed away peacefully earlier this month , age 35 .

There are now the 2 old females in this house with two separate indoor display areas and two outside areas . The 2 younger females and 5 year old male are in the other large Gorilla House .
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  #12
Old 27-10-2008
O'dear, please if anyone from tywcross looks at this site, get a new Sliver Back in soon your wasting valuable animals
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  #13
Old 27-10-2008
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Originally Posted by Bele View Post
On a visit to Twycross on Friday a notice in the Gorilla House announced that Sam Sam had passed away peacefully earlier this month , age 35 .

There are now the 2 old females in this house with two separate indoor display areas and two outside areas . The 2 younger females and 5 year old male are in the other large Gorilla House .
GOOD HEAVENS!! talk about a succession of deaths. At 35 SamSam was not that old but he DID look much older(more like 45). They have now lost; Mamfe, Yinka, Sekondi, Eva, Ndoki, Joe and now SamSAm, all since August 2006. It is just coincidence I'm sure but prior to all these there had never been a Gorilla death there- apart from one non-viable infant.

The ONLY male there now is SamSam's 5year old grandson 'Matadi' Surely now they will accumulate the remaining 1.4 animals into a single group with a new male?

I still think the best available candidate is 10 year old 'Kesho' in Dublin.
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  #14
Old 27-10-2008
Rest in peace joe, a loss of a life no matter how big or small is a sad loss,
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  #15
Old 27-10-2008
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Originally Posted by Pertinax View Post
GOOD HEAVENS!! talk about a succession of deaths. At 35 SamSam was not that old but he DID look much older. They have now lost; Mamfe, Yinka, Sekondi, Eva, Ndoki, Joe and now SamSAm, all since August 2006. It is just coincidence I'm sure but prior to all these there had never been a Gorilla death there- apart from one non-viable infant.

The ONLY male there now is SamSam's 5year old grandson 'Matadi' Surely now they will accumulate the remaining 1.4 animals into a single group with a new male?

I still think the best available candidate is 10 year old 'Kesho' in Dublin.
It is a very bad situation, I hope they now see sense and do as yout suggesting and combine the groups and bring a new male in.
 
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