A New Chapter for the Troop

The biggest milestone for the gorilla troop in 2025 was the arrival of Johari, a 24-year-old western lowland gorilla recommended to join the troop through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan.

What stood out most throughout the introduction process was that Johari never wavered from being a kind and gentle personality. From the beginning, she treated every new introduction with calmness and respect. Everything she did, and continues to do, is thoughtful and allows the troop to continue adjusting to this big social change. We are very lucky to have her with us.

Introductions like this are a process, not an event.

Each step involved evaluating comfort and stress levels, not only for Johari and male silverback Jasiri, but also for the troop members temporarily separated from the family during introductions. It was a balancing act, ensuring new routines and groupings were given time and opportunity to adapt on both sides.

Johari arrived on June 27. After her quarantine period, the first stage began with mesh introductions and opportunities for her to explore the holding and habitat spaces on her own. Because Jasiri would be the first full-contact introduction, the Animal Care, Health & Welfare team started building small routines of separation with him ahead of time, helping reduce stress across the troop.

The first full-contact introduction between Johari and Jasiri took place on July 30. From there, the team worked through different social scenarios over several months, allowing the gorillas to build relationships, establish boundaries, and develop trust. Johari spent time with each individual before the troop gradually came together as a full group of seven.

One moment that stood out involved Okabe, the youngest of the troop. He was immediately drawn to Johari, often playing with her through the mesh while his mother, Yewande, watched closely. Once full-contact introductions began, it took time for Yewande to relax with Okabe approaching Johari.

Throughout it all, Johari continued to do all the right things socially and never overstepped her bounds. Over time, both she and Okabe were given the “green light” to spend more time together without the troop reacting.

Behind the scenes, every stage of the introduction relied on constant communication, changing routines, targeted enrichment, and ongoing observations. Some days meant increasing introductions when things were going well, while others required shorter interactions to keep them positive.

Long days, flexibility, teamwork, and the support behind it all made this progress possible. Watching these relationships take shape has been incredibly rewarding.

Because of donor support, the team was able to dedicate the time, care, and flexibility needed to support each stage of this complex introduction process, helping create the conditions for Johari and the troop to continue building trust together.