Four gorillas set to arrive at Rotterdam Zoo Blijdorp in temporary transfer

Rotterdam Zoo Blijdorp has announced it will temporarily take in four gorillas, including a silverback male and three additional members of the group, which are believed to be females and possibly a juvenile. The animals will stay at Blijdorp for the time being while long-term housing or relocation to other European zoos is organised.

Three of the four gorillas being transferred are arriving from the Belgian wildlife park Pairi Daiza. The group includes 18-year-old silverback Shomari, along with two females, 16-year-old Gasira and 17-year-old Uzuri. A fourth female gorilla from another European zoo, whose name has not yet been disclosed, will complete the group that is moving to Rotterdam.

The gorillas are expected to arrive in Rotterdam sometime during this month. At Pairi Daiza, visitors will be able to see them and say farewell until May 15. Once they arrive, the gorillas will not be shown to visitors straight away. They will first undergo a quarantine period and be given time to acclimatise to their new surroundings.

Blijdorp is undergoing a major restructuring of its gorilla enclosures and groups. The zoo had previously announced it would end its own permanent gorilla family, partly due to the death of the well-known silverback Bokito, the planned renovation of the Rivièrahal, and a new focus on species conservation and exchange with other zoos. As a result, the original group (Aya, Ayba, and Ajabu) was transferred to other zoos, including Frankfurt.

Blijdorp’s long-term strategy still includes ending the maintenance of a permanent gorilla group, with the zoo shifting its focus toward other animal species and broader nature restoration initiatives.

The choice to discontinue a permanent gorilla group fits within the zoo’s Master Plan 2050. The strategy prioritises ecosystem restoration and “Last Resort” programmes aimed at protecting species of which fewer than 1,000 remain in the wild.