It Takes a Village to Raise a Gorilla
Posted at 3:56 pm March 11, 2009 by Janet Hawes
Frank and his Aunt Imani
Instead of bringing Frank to the Zoo’s nursery facility, we decided to set up a satellite nursery inside the gorilla building close to Azizi so that the two would maintain as much contact as possible. Rather than hand rearing this infant as we have done with previous gorilla infants needing assistance, we decided to try a “rear assisting” program, letting Azizi raise Frank while we simply helped her. Nursery and mammal keepers would work together to provide support for Azizi until she could take over full time.
For the first five days, Frank needed to be housed inside an incubator to maintain his body temperature. After that, we set up a crib and a play area in the hallway where Frank could see and hear his family and they would be constantly aware of him, too. As humans, we do not fully understand all the information that is transmitted from mother or family member to the infant gorilla in the first days and weeks of life. There are no doubt many important lessons that an infant gorilla would miss if reared by humans. As much as we could, we were determined to let the gorillas raise Frank so that he could fully benefit from their care.
Frank was a strong baby, and he ate and gained weight well. Because we were so confident with Azizi’s early maternal care, we were able to give Frank back to her earlier than we have with previous gorilla infants cared for in our nursery. On day 16, we gave Azizi a chance to hold Frank. She was a bit clumsy at first, but little Frank was held and surrounded by his gorilla family.
Each week we increased the time that Frank stayed with his family. Highly intelligent, he soon learned to come into a small room for his bottle feedings. Now it wasn’t only Azizi who was enjoying the new addition to the gorilla group, as the other two adult females were gradually allowed to hold and play with Frank. Both 13-year-old Imani and 14-year-old Ndjia were excited to get a chance to interact with him. Frank’s dance card was full as all three females vied for his attention. Even Frank’s father, Paul Donn, allowed Frank to approach. A gentle (though huge) finger was always extended as a greeting. By 5½ months of age, little Frank was spending all night with the gorillas and was reliably coming to animal care staff for bottle feedings.
Keepers gradually introduced Frank to the huge, lush exhibit at the Zoo’s Gorilla Tropics so that he would be comfortable in the area. On the morning of March 6, 2009, Frank made his exhibit debut with his family. It was his aunt, Imani, who carried Frank outside into the exhibit for the first time. Frank was relaxed as he explored the exhibit or was carried about by his trio of eager gorilla “mothers.”
One might never guess that this confident little six-month-old gorilla was rear-assisted by a dedicated staff of animal services personnel who had his best interests at heart. We could never have accomplished such a successful project without an awesome and gentle family of gorillas to give him back to.
Janet Hawes is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.
Watch video of Frank’s first day on exhibit with his family
See more photos of Frank in What’s New?
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March 11th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Thanks for a great post about Frank! It’s exciting to hear that your method of assisting in raising Frank was a wonderful success. Young animals learn so much from their mothers and families that humans can never understand. I watched the video and was amazed that it normally takes 2-3 years to integrate a hand-raised gorilla back into its family, yet with your method it took only 6 months. That’s phenomenal! This must be an important breakthrough. Kudos!
And baby Frank is adorable!
March 12th, 2009 at 5:38 am
Oh my god, he is such a cutie!! I enjoyed the video and congratulations and well done on all your efforts in not only caring for him but seeing that he is integrated so quickly with his family.
March 12th, 2009 at 7:41 am
Gorillas are one of my favorite animals. And it was exciting to read a blog about them this morning. I think it’s wonderful that the SDZ staff was able to achieve the rear-assist with Franks mother, and it was a success. Congrats as always to the wonderful caring staff at the SDZ. As smart as Gorillas are, I really never doubted that baby Frank would be able to be returned to his family. Thank you for the post Janet.
March 12th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Thank you for the excellent blog and update!
As a Zoo member who works full time Monday-Friday, I can usually only get to the Zoo on weekends when Memba’s troop is out. I had the pleasure of seeing Paul Donn’s troop yesterday. I understand Paul Donn’s troop is only out Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Can you rotate the troops every other day so those of us who can only visit on weekends can see both?
March 12th, 2009 at 10:17 am
Melissa-
Thank you for reading about Frank. In many zoos it can indeed be two to three years before a hand reared gorilla is fully integrated into a family group. Here in San Diego, both Azizi and Imani were back with the family at around a year, but Frank has cut even that number in half!
Frank’s rearing was different in other ways besides the early 6-month mark for going on exhibit. Frank was going in with the whole family starting at only 14 days. Instead of being solely reared by humans until reintroduction, we were sharing the responsibility of his care with the gorillas all along. I guess you could even say that there never was a real reintroduction at all in the old sense of the word. As I mentioned in the blog, the gorillas deserve most of the credit. The only thing more adorable than Frank is to see him with his family. He has been accepted by all and has only to choose which lap he will crawl into next.
March 12th, 2009 at 10:27 am
I’m looking forward to meeting Frank in person soon. By the way, what happened to the two older kids?
March 12th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Thank You Janet for this beautiful story. Your innovated method of assisted rearing was genius, allowing only minimal help an the trust the gorillas have in the keepers will surely give this baby the ability to intergrate more easily into the family group. Thank you all for ability to think ahead and try different methods to improve the lives of all the animals in your care. I agree, Frank is just to cute
March 12th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
What wonderful news! I have seen Little Frank several times with his keepers at the 11 am introductions. What a perfect collaboration of human and gorilla caretakers to give this little guy a good start in life. I can hardly wait to see him with his gorilla family as they all seem to be captivated by him. Is his family on exhibit Monday, Wednesday and Friday? Any weekend exhibits?
Moderator’s note: We’ll check on that.
March 13th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
sooooooo happy about baby frank’s successful interegration with his gorilla family. it sounds as though this was the f irst time you have tried this way of doing things. it sounds as though this was the smartest and the right way to do this! it’s amazing how much you can keep learning just by trying new methods to see what will work out the best for the sake of the baby. have other zoos tried this method? I am sure that SDZ is a role model for alot of zoos and that everone shares ideas and information.
do the keepers have meetings with each other to discuss what the other is doing and problems or successes with their particular animal? or is there not time for this? do the keepers ever rotate the animals they care for? or is it better for the animals to have the same keeper all the time? just courious!
March 14th, 2009 at 12:12 am
What an interesting blog! Would love to meet Frank during my meeting to the zoo!
Best Regards,
Shreya
March 14th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Although I’m no longer living in San Diego, I provide my students exposure to the videos, live cams, and blogs. They were completely smitten with baby Frank along with the other babies in the zoo. We then went into a whole group discussion on gorillas and their endangered status. Thank you for all of the great pics and blogs that are always available and that I, can use with my class.
LK Taylor
March 14th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Hi! Congrats on the hard work you all did with Frank! I’m glad that the whole gorilla family has accepted him and are helping each other raise him, even tho he is still depending on you all for his milk until he gets weaned from that soon. Saw the video, and he is soooooo cute! Don Paul is a HUGE silverback, so I won’t be too surprised at all when Frank grows up to be his daddy’s size in a few years. Looks like you all have a great program going with the gorillas.
Found out on the National Zoo website that the gorilla keepers there are keeping the name voting going for their newest female baby gorilla until March 24, 2009. They will announce her new name with the most votes on March 25. So, gorilla fans, here’s your chance to get on the NZ website’s gorilla page, hit the link to vote for 3 names, and pick the name that you think will be the best for her. Have fun!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
March 16th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Dear Nancy-
Wow! Some excellent questions from you, I will try to answer them without writing a novel.
Other zoos have not done exactly what we did with little Frank. Each zoo has it’s own unique situtation; we ourselves might not necessarily do the exact thing twice if the situation didn’t warrant it. This brings us to your second question about meetings between keepers about our methods. Yes! We do have meetings to share husbandry techniques. There are professional organizations like the American Association of Zookeepers that are devoted to just such sharing of information. This year in September, I am going to present a paper at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle about our rear assisted program with Frank. I will outline the program and share how we accomplished our goals. Hopefully others can make use of some of our successful techniques.
Your last question about whether keepers rotate, or remain working with the same animals all the time is one of those both yes and no answers! In some areas, for example elephants, reptiles, great apes, and the nursery, keepers tend to stay where they are. These specialty areas take a long time to learn and the relationship between the keeper and the animals develops over a long period of time. However, in other areas keepers may rotate often. Rotation of keepers helps to cross train our employees and give zookeepers a better chance to get experience working with a wide variety of animals.
March 16th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Chari I chose the three names for the baby in dc. Kbibi kepenzi and keyah. and janet has Paul donn held or played with Fank yet? and do you give behind the scenes tours with the gorillas? and will frank meet membas group any time soon thanks max. and chari i told you i would keep you updated on the baby in dc. yesterday mandara brought the baby right to the glass and the baby looked me right in the eyes and i know every gorilla in th us. and janet say hi to keeper nate and i know gorilla havens jane dewar. thanks again max
March 16th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Does Frank hold his own bottle?
March 16th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Glad to know that rear-assisting is as successful or more so than hand-rearing. It helped his mother know how to care for him for the next baby she produces. He sounds like quite a “fellow” and has been lovingly accepted and nurtured by his family. Another successful outcome for SDZ keepers. Kudos to all.
March 17th, 2009 at 9:04 am
Hi Carole-
Good question about Frank’s bottle. He likes to put his little hands over the bottle as he is drinking, but he lacks the coordination to steady his body and tip the bottle up all by himself.
Thanks for reading!
March 17th, 2009 at 9:11 am
Max-
Glad you asked about the relationship between Paul Donn and Frank because it is one of the elements of this story that touches my heart the most. Paul is a very calm and wonderful silverback in general; we have always known that. However, nothing has illustrated Paul’s many attributes more than how he has treated and accepted Frank. Keeper Nate said this morning that Paul was allowing Frank to crawl all over him yesterday, on his head and over his arms and legs, and finally slipped off when navigating Paul’s huge belly. When Frank slipped off, Paul scooped Frank up and patted him gently to reassure him. This is only one example of the gentle tolerant play that is so beneficial for Frank. He is one lucky guy to have Paul for a father!
We do behind-the-scenes tours at gorillas, but not inside the bedrooms where the animals sleep. Gorillas are sensitive to strangers in their night quarters.
Frank will not meet members of Memba’s troop. Thanks for your great questions.
March 17th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Will you consider having Paul Donn’s family rotate with Memba’s family every other day so those of us who work M-F can see them?
Moderator’s note: Starting April 1, Frank and his family will be out every other day from 11 a.m. to closing. Sunday, April 5, would be his first weekend outing!
March 17th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Paul Donn? Where did his name come from?
Moderator’s note: Paul Donn was named after a generous Zoo donor.
March 18th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Thank you, Janet!!! Now I can see Memba’s and Paul Donn’s families! And baby Frank!
March 18th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Thank you, Janet, for your poignant account of Little Frank’s and Paul Donn’s interactions. It is truly beautiful that this giant primate is so gentle and affectionate with his son.
March 20th, 2009 at 8:01 am
Hi Janet. Has Frank met Ekuba and Bouendjie through the mesh yet? and how do we plan behind the scenes tours? and has he met Memba and his girls through the mesh yet? and witch one of pds girls likes frank the most? thanks max
Moderator’s note: You can book a VIP tour of the Zoo and request a visit to the gorillas. Call 619-718-3000 or 800-407-9534 for more information.
March 20th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
any plans to introduce maka to any other gorilla? i know nate was talking with me about introduceing ajari to maka. and will mandaazi join him? thanks max.
March 20th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
and janet i know memba is a great father to his boys. has he seen frank and how does he react to him? and has bouendjie and ekuba react to him thank max
March 23rd, 2009 at 9:17 am
Max-
Thank you for your questions. My favorite is the one that asks which female loves Frank the most. Here is where I got my title “It Takes a Village”. Although all three vie for Frank’s attention, each female takes a different role in caring for Frank. Azizi is the most playful, Imani gives the most TLC and loves to snuggle, and Ndjia is the most balanced and reliable, she seems to know just what needs to be done at all times. I was delighted last week to see all three females sitting in a circle together with little Frank in the center. Caring for Frank has been the catalyst for a more cohesive relationship between all three of our girls.
To answer your other questions: there is ongoing discussion about introducing Maka and the other boys but nothing has been decided yet. Memba and all members of his troop have had visual exposure to Frank all along. Nate says that Memba doesn’t seem too interested in him either way, positive or negative. The boys Bouendje and Ekuba are very interested in Frank and are excited to see him. All of Memba’s gang have seen Frank both through the wire mesh and in the hallway in front of the bedroom area.
Thanks for reading! Janet
March 24th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I’m not familiar with the families – I need to go back to old blogs I guess…but i am having Frank withdrawals – will we have another update soon? He is beyond adorable.
March 28th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Hi! Got some news about NZ’s new baby gorilla. She is a girl, they had 3 names on the gorilla page for all of us to vote on, and now they have a name for the baby girl! They extended the voting a few more days thru Friday, 3/27, and today (Sat., 3/28), they announced that her name is Kibibi. She is now 2 months old, and her mom Mandara is doing a great job taking care of her. And, Kibibi now has 4 brand new baby teeth! Another milestone for this cute little gorilla! She’s still riding on her mom’s back, too, and she loves it!
Will let you know how she’s doing when new updates about her come in.
I’m also waiting for new updates about Frank, SDZ’s baby gorilla. Sounds like that he’s got 3 mommas instead of just one! He’s a very lucky little guy to have all of that attention from the girls!
Well, gonna go. Take good care of Frank!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
April 1st, 2009 at 1:55 pm
I think that baby frank is a lucky little gorilla. he has the best of both worlds. human zoo-keepers taking care of his bottle feedings and a trio of female gorillas hovering over him. big daddy even indulges the little guy climbing all over him! he doesn’t seem any the worse for wear by mom not nursing him! hooray for everyone involved. it is obvious that little frank is not only tolerated, but loved by ALL!
April 7th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
chari i said i would keep you posted and yesterday i saw the nz gorillas and baraka was very active and mandara and kibibi were resting in the hamock. and i chose the names that went on the website. and janet i went to your zoo 2 weeks ago and i went on the roof and saw membas troop. ekuba was playing with bouendjie it was so cute. and i saw frank for the first time and he was running and he fell over it was so cute and he was climbing all over paul donn anhis food. he even stole his food and paul donn did not mind it and when azizi tried he would not let her and say hi to the peapol who let me back there and they are chad and greg i went back twice. and let me know how all of them are doing from max.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:24 am
As of April 1, Frank is out every other day, weather permitting. How do I find out what days he is out?
Thx, bud
Moderator’s note: With the current schedule, he should be out (weather permitting, of course!) on the odd days of April and May.
April 13th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
I meant to thank you Janet for answering all my questions last month in march. I didn’t mean to take this long to tell you that!! I just think the whole process of what you did with baby frank was sooo interesting.
it was so nice of you to answer all the bloggers questions! it makes us feel and think that we know alot more than we used to about gorillas, zoos and what the keepers are doing. ( even if we don’t!) ha ha! we love it when you keep us informed. my husband thinks I am a little silly sometimes about zoos and animals.
but, he is the first one to take me to the zoo no matter where we are. he knows I love it and won’t admit how much he also enjoys the zoo and seeing all the animals. I just wish we lived closer to a big zoo!
April 14th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Hi Nancy-
Thank you so much for writing- this was really nice to hear. It is wonderful to meet animal enthusiasts (even if it is only on the internet!) such as yourself, Max, Carol, Susan etc. who are actually interested in our work and can see the value of our wonderful animals. Your support and caring mean very much to us.
Janet
August 14th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Thank you so much Janet for all the information on little Frank and his extended family. I do so enjoy reading blogs such as this that truly make us feel as tho’ we get to know the families. You’ve written such a caring story. We know that all of the keepers love what they do! And we are often extremely envious of your interaction with all the animals at the park. Ahhh, if only we lived closer. Avolunteering I would go!!!!
(I’ve just gotten back to the blogs and am reading through them in order if you question the “timeliness” of my entry!!)
August 15th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
dear janet, how are things going in gorilla tropics? anything new, interesting, or exciting to report? I guess I need a baby frank update! is he still getting spoiled by the rest of the troop? his daddy is so large, handsome, gentle with frank, patient, and last but not least, AWESOME!!! I wonder if I will still be alive to see baby frank reach the size of his big daddy!!! hope so!!…………are his trio of moms still hovering over him! I bet he is a bit more independent by now isn’t he!? thanks ahead of time if you have time to give us an up-date! the birth of our newest baby panda bear has been the center of attention since his birth, but I still love baby frank ( gorillas have always been my favorite ) nancy