Mandara & Baraka | ||
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Details | Mandara cradles Baraka ya M'welu, who was born on the evening of April 11, 1992 to Haloko. No one knows exactly what happened, but when the staff arrived the next morning, Mandara had both the newborn, Baraka, as well as her own one-year-old, Kejana. Haloko had given birth previously at the Philadelphia Zoo, but her infants were pulled for hand-rearing. To learn more see Gorillas Just Want to Have Fun by Kim Eisler - Washingtonian Magazine. | |
Species | Lowland Gorilla - Gorilla G. Gorilla | |
Range | Zaire River Basin, from coastal Gabon to the Virunga Mts. of Zaire, Rwanda & Uganda. | |
Habitat | Undisturbed rain forests to 3,000 m. (10,000 ft.). | |
Social Structure | Troops of 4 to 30 gorillas; a silver-backed male leads each troop. | |
Behavior | Shy, unaggresive. Builds nests on the ground or in trees up to 18 m. (60 ft.) where they spend the night. | |
Voice | About 16 different vocalizations. | |
Diet | Prefers leaves, shoots & buds. | |
Lifespan | 37 years in zoos. | |
Status | Endangered |