16 Four new gorillas moved to the Detroit Zoo in August 2023. Three — Mshindi, Tulivu and Bandia — arrived from the Cincinnati Zoo, where they had lived together in a troop since 2019. The fourth, Nayembi, moved from Lincoln Park Zoo. All four were recommended to move to the Detroit Zoo by the Gorilla SSP. Meet THE NEW TROOP MSHINIDI Mshindi means “winner” in Swahili. This silverback male was born Oct. 17, 1987, and his caretakers report that he is a slow eater, always letting the female gorillas eat what they want first. He is sensitive to the weather and enjoys playing with female Tulivu. TULIVU Tulivu means “quiet” in Swahili — though her animal care team affectionately says this gorilla loves to make cheerful vocalizations. Tulivu was born May 2, 2004. She can be identified by her round face. The animal care team reports she is energetic and silly. She loves to interact with her caretakers and play with Mshindi. BANDIA Bandia — a female gorilla — was born Sept. 13, 1997. She was the dominant female at the Cincinnati Zoo — though Tulivu challenges her for the role. Bandia tends to be quiet and subdued. NAYEMBI Nayembi, a female gorilla whose name means “to sing” in the Lingala language, was born on Nov. 16, 2012. When she was an infant, Nayembi sustained a facial injury that required emergency surgery. After five months of round-the-clock care, she was successfully reintroduced to her family group, and her care team reports she has done very well ever since. Today, Nayembi is a healthy 10-year-old gorilla who loves to play, eat and cause mischief.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTI5Mg==