Go Ask Mom

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 Updated
Dembe to move to N.C. Zoo

Dembe, 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.

Dembe comes to the zoo in Asheboro, about 90 minutes from the Triangle, for a couple of reasons. The Gorilla Species Survival Plan, which provides guidance to zoos with gorillas with help from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, recommended Dembe move to the N.C. Zoo because of the successful introduction of 34-year-old Mosuba to Apollo and Bomassa a few years ago.

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.

More On This

Related Topics

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.