Soundi and Boula, two female Western lowland gorillas from the Aspinall Foundation’s Kent wildlife parks, have arrived at the Pairi Daiza zoo in Belgium, where they will form the nucleus of a new breeding group for the Critically Endangered species.

Two gorillas born at Howletts Wild Animal Park near Canterbury have left Kent for Belgium, travelling by ferry and road to the Pairi Daiza zoo in Hainaut, where they arrived on Tuesday 25 August.

Soundi, aged 10, and Boula, aged 19, are the first two members of a planned group of four Western lowland gorillas being assembled at the Belgian park under the Ex situ Programme (EEP) co-ordinated by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. A male and a third female are expected to join them in the coming months, with the aim of encouraging breeding.

Born in Kent

Soundi was born at Howletts on 25 April 2016, and the move to Pairi Daiza is the first transfer of her life. Her UK keepers describe her as sociable, confident and a particularly agile climber, though one who can take her time to observe an unfamiliar situation before engaging.

Boula was also born at Howletts, on 9 April 2007, but has lived since 2013 at Port Lympne Reserve near Hythe, Howletts’ sister park. Her keepers describe her as playful and expressive, known for shaking her head at the mesh with excitement around feeding time and for what Pairi Daiza calls the “exceptionally loud and lengthy rumbles” she produces when fresh browse is handed out.

Both parks are run by the Aspinall Foundation. UK keepers accompanied the two gorillas on the journey and are staying at Pairi Daiza while they settle in.

A refurbished home and a quarantine period

To receive the new group, Pairi Daiza says it has almost entirely renewed one of the two volcano-shaped gorilla houses in its African zone, with new indoor substrate, a misting system, fresh planting under the glass roofs, additional walkways and climbing structures, and an upgraded camera system for monitoring the animals’ welfare. An artificial termite mound on the outdoor island can be loaded with hidden food to encourage foraging.

The two females will complete a quarantine period inside the refurbished house before being given access to their full territory, and will not be visible to visitors immediately.

“The arrival of these two females is an important first step in forming this new group,” said Yiling Wang, Pairi Daiza’s acting head of primates. “Our priority is to give each gorilla the time and conditions needed to settle in and build strong social relationships. In the longer term, we hope this group will also contribute to the conservation of the species through the EEP.”

A Critically Endangered species

The Western lowland gorilla is classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, facing habitat degradation, poaching and disease in the wild. Females typically give birth to a single infant, with several years between births, which makes wild populations slow to recover. The European breeding programme co-ordinates transfers between member zoos to maintain a genetically viable population.

Pairi Daiza, around 220km from Calais, notes the journey works in the other direction too — the park is reachable from Kent by ferry or train, with Cambron-Casteau station a short walk from its gates.

Sources

Top image: illustrative, computer-generated image of a western lowland gorilla. This is not a photograph of Soundi or Boula.