Silverback Kiburi flies from Loro Parque to London Zoo
The 18-year-old gorilla, weighing 193 kilograms, was flown 3,000 kilometres as air freight and fed leafy greens, leeks, bananas and cold fruit tea en route. He is to head a breeding group at Gorilla Kingdom.
Juan Martín is a journalist at Teneriffa News. He grew up in the Canary Islands and has therefore known the archipelago since childhood. Much of his research begins where others go on holiday.
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Foto: DHLPer DHL Express ist Gorilla Kiburi aus dem Loro Parque auf Teneriffa in den Londoner Zoo gebracht worden.
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This consignment was anything but ordinary: Gorilla Kiburi from Tenerife was transported to London via DHL. Once there, the 18-year-old silverback is set to join a group of breeding gorillas.
193 kilograms, spread across a body measuring 1.63 metres. Kiburi would not have been too tall for a standard aeroplane seat, but he would certainly have been too wide. So a different approach was needed. Cargo experts took charge of transporting the gorilla from Loro Parque on Tenerife to London Zoo.
During the 3,000-kilometre journey, the cabin crew served the gorilla leafy vegetables, leeks, bananas and cold fruit tea. The transport team was made up of animal keepers, aircraft engineers, freight forwarders, security staff, pilots and lorry drivers. And so Kiburi finally arrived in London unharmed.
The move became necessary after the silverback Kumbuka died at London Zoo. The search for a successor lasted four years – and eventually led to Kiburi on Tenerife. The gorilla originally came from Hanover Zoo. From there, he travelled to Tenerife with his brother Ubongo in 2014.
Foto: Loro ParqueGorilla Kiburi has been relocated from Loro Parque in Tenerife to London. Photo: Loro Parque
After animal keepers from London had visited Loro Parque to build a relationship of trust, Kiburi was prepared for the journey. „Although we will miss him, as he is a member of the family, we are delighted that he is developing so well and now has the opportunity to form his own breeding group and learn other natural behaviours with the females and their young,“ said Iñaki Ezquerro, head of the terrestrial mammals department at Loro Parque, as he bid him farewell.
Kiburi is moving from Loro Parque on Tenerife to the „Gorilla Kingdom“ at London Zoo
Kiburi has now arrived at the „Gorilla Kingdom“. There is an island with hidden caves, a jungle area and a river. The gorilla will gradually get to know his new group.
„As with any blended family, we’re taking it slowly,“ said gorilla keeper Glynn Hennessy following the arrival: „That’s why we’re keeping a close eye on the group and giving each individual animal the time it needs to get to know the new arrival.“
London Zoo sees itself as part of a global breeding programme aimed at safeguarding the Western lowland gorilla population. According to the zoo, their population in the wild in Central and West Africa is under threat from poaching, disease, deforestation and climate change.
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