LOUISVILLE, Ky. — There is a new face inside Gorilla Forest at the Louisville Zoo!
The Louisville Zoo announced Monday the newest addition to its family is an 11-year-old western lowland gorilla named Patty.
Patty was born at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo and comes to the Louisville Zoo with a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan. In time, zoo officials say she will be paired with silverback gorilla, Casey.
Her zookeepers say that Patty is a socially savvy gorilla. Her acclimation to the new environment and integration into the established group is going smoothly.
“Welcoming Patty to the Louisville Zoo adds an exciting new element to Gorilla Forest,” Louisville Zoo Director Dan Maloney said. “Welcoming a relatively young, unrelated female gorilla to our Zoo is quite an accomplishment and we credit her addition to the hard work of our Animal Care Team. We are eager to witness her growth, and hopefully see her successfully become a mom with male gorilla Casey soon!”
Patty’s arrival creates a new gorilla troop which includes silverback Casey (42 years old), adult females Paki (35 years old) and Kweli (40 years old) and young female Kindi (8 years old). Patty and her family group will be in exhibit rotation with bachelor groups including Bengati, Jelani, Cecil and Kicho.