The zoo will close early on Friday, August 9, 2024, to accommodate setup for Wild After Hours: Corks for Conservation (18+). The last entry into the grounds will be at 3:00 p.m. and the grounds will begin to be cleared at 4:00 p.m. Thank you for understanding.
Indoor Gorilla Habitat: From July 2 until approximately the end of the month, the western lowland gorilla troop will not be viewable in their indoor African Rainforest habitat while work is done on the viewing windows. The troop will be viewable in their outdoor habitat throughout the project (weather and animal participation permitting). The rest of the African Rainforest building will remain open and accessible throughout the project. Thank you for your understanding.
African Savannah Yard: Hartmann’s mountain zebras and ostriches will be off-view until the end of the year while we complete exciting upgrades in the African Savannah Yard, including the construction of a new Savannah Barn for the animals. Our giraffe tower will continue to be viewable throughout the project. Thank you for your understanding.
Bite-Sized
Exciting news from the African Rainforest Building. We’re thrilled to welcome our newest arrival, ‘Kouma’, a five-year-old male mandrill who arrived this week from Zoo de Granby!
Here’s a fun fact: Kouma is related to our resident female mandrill, ‘Layla’! That’s right, Layla’s brother ‘Tumbili’ is Kouma’s sire (dad), making Layla his aunt. Mandrills are known for their social nature, so Layla and Kouma have been thoughtfully paired for companionship rather than breeding, placing paramount importance on their overall well-being.
Currently, Kouma is undergoing his quarantine here on zoo grounds. He’s busy familiarizing himself with his habitat’s back-of-house spaces and has not yet made his public debut. To help reduce stress for both individuals, we’re gradually introducing Kouma to Layla, starting with plexiglass viewing sessions and progressing to mesh-to-mesh interactions!
As Kouma settles into his new surroundings, our Animal Care, Health & Welfare team may grant him access to the outdoor mandrill habitat, while Layla rotates to their back-of-house or indoor space. Join us in welcoming Kouma in the comments!
Photo credit: Keith Bartlett, Zoo de Granby
