Durrell's new new gorilla due to meet her troop today - Jersey Evening Post
by Megan Davies · Jersey Evening PostPosted inNews
Durrell’s new new gorilla due to meet her troop today
by Megan Davies 12 June 202611 June 2026
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JERSEY Zoo is to welcome a new gorilla – who it is hoped will form part of the breeding programme – has safely arrived in the Island and is expected to be introduced to her new troop today.
The arrival of ten-year-old Afia ends a 15-year stretch without a new gorilla being brought to the Zoo.
Curator of mammals Ben Matthews said: “Moving a gorilla is no mean feat. She’s come from Bristol, over on the ferry, so she’s done everything: from a ferry, been in the back of a van, then on the forklift.”
At the end of Afia’s journey was a pair of sliding doors which needed to be lined up perfectly with her crate.
“It’s a huge amount of work strategically, but operationally the preparation is massive,” Mr Matthews said – with more than ten people helping on the day and many more involved in preparations.
“The team have done such a great job preparing the space, acclimatising the other gorillas to the new house, preparing them for the upcoming mix. The registrar has been brilliant and the vet team have been on standby. It’s been a huge team effort.”
He reported that Afia had travelled “very well”, with plenty of food and drink available. The new gorilla house, which opened last month, has spaces allowing for the troop to be away from the eyes of visitors.
“When she got to us, she came over straight away for something to eat and had a drink,” Mr Matthew said, adding that he expects her to be introduced to the troop leader, Badongo, today and then the females in the troop.
The move has been discussed by the European Breeding Programme “for a very long time”, Mr Matthews said.
Afia is expected to contribute to maintaining a healthy population of western lowland gorillas, and it has been recommended that she breed at least once with Badongo.
“Everything’s very carefully coordinated in terms of genetics,” Mr Matthews said.
“One baby has been recommended, and we will have to review after that, because it depends if it’s a little boy or a little girl.”
A female gorilla could stay with her mother for her whole life, while Badongo would only tolerate a male for seven or eight years.
Afia is the granddaughter of Snowflake, the world’s only known albino gorilla, and was one of the first gorillas to be delivered by emergency caesarean section when she was born in Bristol in 2016.
The then-newborn gorilla received her name following a public vote.
Afia means “born on Friday” in Akan, where children are named according to the day of the week they were born.
Sarah Gedman, a curator at Bristol Zoo Project, was present when Afia was born and has travelled to Jersey to help the “charismatic” gorilla settle in to her new home.
“Watching Afia grow from a vulnerable newborn into a confident adolescent gorilla has been incredibly special for all of us at Bristol Zoo Project,” she said.
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