The Buffalo Zoo has teamed up with Zoo Atlanta (Atlanta, Ga.) and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (Columbus, Ohio), to form a new gorilla troop located at Zoo Atlanta. Amari, the 10-year Western lowland gorilla, born at the Buffalo Zoo in 2010, recently traveled with the Zoo Atlanta animal care team from Buffalo to Atlanta.
Amari’s joining a new troop mimics the natural behavior of gorillas in the wild. Around her age, female gorillas are in their peak reproductive years and become part of troops and begin families of their own. Western lowland gorillas live in groups typically consisting of a silverback male and several adult females and their offspring.
In Atlanta, Amari will join a 22-year-old male gorilla named Willie B., Jr., as well as two female gorillas, Kambera and Shalia, from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. This troop’s formation comes as part of a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Gorilla Species Survival Plan® (SSP). Born April 8, 1998, at Zoo Atlanta, Willie B., Jr., is the third offspring and the only male offspring of the local legend and late Willie B., who died in 2000. He has lived most recently in a bachelor group setting.
“The cooperation and collaboration with two other highly-regarded and accredited zoos is just
another example of how the Buffalo Zoo is going beyond just being a local attraction. We’re
making a difference and enhancing the long-term survival for Western lowland gorillas and many
other critically endangered species,” said Norah Fletchall, President and CEO, Buffalo Zoo. The population of Western lowland gorillas in the wild has declined by over 60 percent in the
past 25 years due to habitat loss, poaching, illegal hunting for the bushmeat trade, and emerging
diseases, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
For guests visiting the Buffalo Zoo, Amari’s parents Koga and Sydney, her aunt Lilly, brother
Kayin, and half-sister Nyah reside in the Gorilla House. The Zoo is operating under winter hours
and is open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The Zoo has a
comprehensive Guest Health and Safety Plan in effect, and advance reservations must be made
online by visiting buffalozoo.org.
The Buffalo Zoo is also a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is the third oldest Zoo in the country. It is
committed to promoting wildlife conservation through up-close animal encounters, engaging educational experiences, and participation in regional and international programs for endangered species. The Buffalo Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. For additional information about the Buffalo Zoo, please visit www.buffalozoo.org. You can also follow us and like us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
