NEWS - YOUNG GORILLA MOJA TO LEAVE PRAGUE ZOO FOR SPAIN

Young gorilla Moja to leave Prague zoo for Spain

ČTK |

26 August 2011

Prague, Aug 25 (CTK) - Moja, the first young gorilla born in the Prague zoo seven years ago, will in October move to northern Spain where she is expected to unite with her "bridegroom" in the Cabarceno zoo, Prague zoo director Miroslav Bobek told journalists yesterday.
"The Cabarceno zoo has been chosen by the coordinator of the European programme for breeding the western lowland gorilla. It is a good choice," said Bobek.
Cabarceno, optimal in terms of climatic conditions and the size of the enclosure, is inhabited by Niky, a 25-year-old male gorilla coming from Africa and thus genetically valuable, and two females, Nadia (30) and Chelewa (5).
Despite Moja's popularity with the Prague zoo keepers and visitors, her departure is necessary. "If she stayed here...we'd have to prevent her from having offspring with her father [Richard]," Pavel Brandl, from the Prague zoo, said.
Already now, Moja, who will turn seven on December 13, has to be on contraception.
The date of her departure has been set for mid-October in view of the pregnancy of Bikira, one of the Prague gorilla group's five females. Bikira is to give birth to her offspring at the end of the year. The keepers want Moja to be transferred away enough in advance.
In Cabarceno, Moja will face the difficult task of integrating with the local gorilla group. She will probably have to fight mainly with the young Chelewa for a position equal to the latter's, Brandl said.
After Moja, whose name means "the first" in Swahili, the Prague zoo gorilla parents Richard and Kijivu had two sons, Tatu (4) and Kiburi (1).