Gorilla youngster - Belo Horizonte zoo

i think it's sawidi

@BetoYoung Sawidi and Jahari were born with only one month of difference, in Augus and September of 2014, respectively. I cannot tell who's who at all. Have you noticed any specific difference between the brothers that makes you distinguish them?

@David Matos Mendes well, i guess i didn't, but they seem to be twins

@BetoYoung
They are not. As I said, they were born with one month of difference. Sawidi is Loulou's son, and Jahari is Imbi's son. They are very similar because they have the same father (León) and have almost the same age.

@David Matos Mendes and they were born in august and september, and there are 2 gorilla babies, ayo is jahari's brother and anaya is sawidi's sister

@BetoYoung Yes, that's correct. Ayo is two years older than Anaya. It happens that Loulou, who's Anaya's and Sawidi's mother, also got pregnant at the same time Imbi expected Ayo, but she unfortunately lost the baby during the first months of pregnancy. After that, she got pregnant again in 2019, and Anaya was born. The zoo is planning to build one more gorilla exhibit to hold the younger males when they reach maturity, and some time in a near future, form new families with them.

@David Matos Mendes but why, why can't leon's sons live with their family?

@BetoYoung
Because they will soon become adults, (in 3 or 4 years they might already start looking for trouble with their father and vice versa) and just like in nature, they must leave their group to start a new family, becoming themselves the silverbacks of their respective groups.

@David Matos Mendes ah yes, that's true, but i think they are adults already, because they were born in 2014, now they are 6 years old, and they will become silverbacks at 10 years old.

@BetoYoung
No, afaik, gorillas become sexually mature at 11 to 13 years, and acquire the silver coloration in their back when they are between 15 to 20 years. Sawidi is seven, and jahari will be seven next month, so they are at most teenagers. The zoo still has some time to build them a new home.