‘Ooh la la!’ Gorilla girls get a sneak peek at their French stud!

London Zoo gets a new male gorilla!

[UKPRwire, Wed Aug 26 2009] If French is the language of love then a new addition to ZSL London Zoo is sure to set three female gorilla hearts racing.

The Zoo’s singletons, Mjukuu, 10, Effie, 16, and Zaire, 34 are to get a sneak preview of their new beau this Thursday when they will be given pictures of 12-year-old hunk, Yeboah.

The pictures of the 20 stone male gorilla, who will be travelling from La Boissiere Du Dore Zoo in France to London later on this year, will certainly excite the female trio who have lacked male attention since the death of silverback Bobby in December 2008.

Keepers visited Yeboah in Pays de la Loire a month ago to observe his personality and they think the dashing male will get along perfectly with ZSL London Zoo’s female gorillas.

Team leader Tracey Lee says: “Yeboah currently lives with a silverback gorilla which means that he is remained a black back gorilla but when comes to London he will naturally take control of our gorilla group and will develop a silverback.”

“He’s a very charming, fun loving and intelligent gorilla. I think it will be love at first sight when the girls are let onto the island to look at the pictures – it’s going to be a very special moment.”

Photographers /film crews are invited to come into the Zoo on Thursday to see the female gorillas getting a sneak preview of their future beau.

Ends

Viewing will be across the gorilla moat, with no obstructions. A long lens may be required.




Editors notes:

Gorilla Kingdom
Gorilla Kingdom was opened in Easter 2007 and was partly funded with a legacy left to ZSL London Zoo by a long-serving volunteer as well as donations on the gate. Through the development of this exhibit ZSL has pledged to contribute £500,000 to the conservation of gorillas in the wild through our conservation programmes.

Western lowland gorillas
Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are classified as critically endangered by the IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature. They are found in the tropical rainforests of Angola (Cabinda); Cameroon; Central African Republic; Congo; Equatorial Guinea; Gabon. Like all gorilla subspecies, the western lowland gorilla is threatened by illegal hunting, disease, and habitat loss and degradation. They are herbivores and feed on leaves, nuts and branches.

ZSL gorilla conservation
The gorillas at ZSL London Zoo are the western lowland subspecies. ZSL works for the conservation of the western lowland gorilla through a number of field projects. In Lopé National Park in Gabon, ZSL is developing an ecotourism project at the Mikongo Conservation Centre conducting research into gorilla ecology and human health.

ZSL
Founded in 1826, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is an international scientific, conservation and educational charity: our key role is the conservation of animals and their habitats. The Society runs ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, carries out scientific research in the Institute of Zoology and is actively involved in field conservation in other countries worldwide. For further information please visit www.zsl.org

ZSL London Zoo is open from 10.00am to 6.00pm during the summer months. Prices are £18.50 (including donations) if you’re 16+ and £15.00 for children, under 3’s go free. For further information please visit www.zsl.org