Blijdorp Zoo to part ways with all of its gorillas following Bokito’s death

Blijdorp Zoo in Rotterdam is saying goodbye to its gorilla troop. In the coming years, all the apes will move to other zoos. Gorilla male Aybo has already moved to a zoon in Arcachon, France, according to the Rotterdam zoo.

According to the zoo, the reason for the western lowland gorillas’ departure is Blijdorp’s new vision on species conservation and nature recovery. Some hard choices had to be made, and this was one of them.

The Blijdorp gorilla troop became world famous in May 2007 when gorilla male Bokito broke out of the enclosure and dragged away a woman who visited him almost daily. Four people got hurt. Bokito is the father of all the young gorillas in Blijdorp. The ape died this spring at the age of 27.

Until 2050, Blijdorp wants to focus more than before on nature restoration and species conservation and make more room for species that need extra attention. The area of the park is limited, however. “That requires difficult choices. This decision has an enormous impact on everyone,” said Blijdorp director Erik Zevenbergen.

The relocation of the African apes is happening in consultation with the coordinator of population management for gorillas in zoos. New places have already been found for almost all the apes, but the relocations will take several years. The Riviera Hall, where the gorillas reside, is also being renovated. Once all the apes have moved, their space will be used as a temporary shelter for animals for the time being.