Welcome, Dembe! NC Zoo to add 5-year-old gorilla to its troop
Dembe, a member of the endangered Western lowland gorilla species, comes from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Posted — UpdatedDembe, a five-year-old male gorilla, will be the newest addition to the N.C. Zoo's troop.
Dembe, a member of the endangered Western lowland gorilla species, comes from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colo. He was born there on Aug. 14, 2012 — the same year and month as both Bomassa and Apollo, two of the North Carolina Zoo’s current resident male gorillas, were born, according to a zoo press release.
Willie Campbell, a gorilla care specialist for the zoo, traveled to Colorado earlier this week to accompany Dembe on the flight to North Carolina later in the week. Campbell will spend a couple of days working with gorilla care specialists at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo so he can get to know Dembe. On the way to North Carolina, Dina Bredahl, a gorilla specialist at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, will travel with Dembe and Campbell to help Dembe acclimate himself to the new home.
Also, Rosie, a 43-year-old female gorilla, has a history of taking youngsters, who are not her offspring, under her wing, according to the press release. When Dembe arrives at the zoo, Rosie will be waiting for him in a quarantine area where they will stay for about a month. The two are expected to leave quarantine in late October.
Visitors will be able to get their first glimpses of Dembe later this fall.
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