Why There Are No Mountain Gorillas in the Zoo
Monkeys, bonobos, orangutans, and lowland gorillas can enjoy longevity in captivity, but one of the great apes we may never see in zoos is mountain gorillas. Surely you are wondering, why and why there are no mountain gorillas in the zoo?
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| (Photo: knowledgenuts.com) |
Some zoos have tried to house and care for these wild animals, but have not been entirely successful.
Mountain Gorillas Difficult to Live in Captivity
The mountain gorilla is a subspecies of eastern gorilla, that lives in the highland forests of the Virunga volcanic mountains, Central/East Africa, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda.
Mountain gorillas are usually smaller in stature than other eastern gorillas but have thicker fur as they adjust to colder mountain weather.
According to a recent survey, there are only 1,063 mountain gorillas left in the wild. They are considered a "critically endangered" species, despite their status briefly becoming "endangered" in 2018 thanks to conservation efforts.
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To date, no mountain gorillas are known to be in captivity. There were several attempts to care for mountain gorillas at the zoo in the 1960s and 1970s, but all ended in tragedy.
One successful attempt was made by the Cologne Zoo in 1969 when two mountain gorillas, named Coco and Pucker, arrived from Rwanda's Virunga Mountains.
Initially, zookeepers hoped to breed the pair, but it was eventually revealed that both were females.
Coco and Pucker managed to live a pretty good life. They survive by eating additional food in the form of spinach, celery, onions, broccoli, bamboo shoots, and wheat sprouts.
However, in 1978, Coco and Pucker suddenly fell ill with bacterial infections and both died within a few months. Autopsies showed both suffered from congenital immune system defects.
Despite the underlying health conditions of both, it is evident that mountain gorillas almost always die at a young age while living in captivity.
The reasons are not yet fully understood, mainly because lowland gorillas are successfully kept and even bred in captivity.
One theory holds that mountain gorillas have a very specific diet consisting of 142 different types of fruit, leaves, stems, roots, and shoots.
It is difficult to create this diversity in captivity, which is miles away from their place of origin so it is possible that captive mountain gorillas are not getting the nutrients they need to stay healthy.
There are also allegations that mountain gorillas are more susceptible to stress, which impacts their immune systems and ability to fight infection.
However, mountain gorillas can live in sanctuary environments. The Senkwekwe Centre in Virunga National Park is the only facility in the world that cares for orphaned mountain gorillas.
That's a bit of information about "the cause of no mountain gorillas in the zoo". Hope the information is useful.