Frank the Gorilla: First Year
Posted at 12:19 pm August 21, 2009 by Greg Vicino
Life in the troop has certainly had an incredible impact on little Frank’s social development, but even more impressive is the impact it has had on Frank’s family. Back when Frank was born and we realized we were going to have to intervene at some level, we had many candid discussions about how best to raise this kid, without hampering his true “gorilla skills.”
Although the San Diego Zoo has a significant amount of experience and a tremendous amount of success hand-rearing great apes, we recognized that we could only teach an infant gorilla so much about how to become a successful adult. We weighed the pros and cons of our level of interaction and determined the threshold for how much impact our influence would have compared to that of his family. We knew we could teach Frank some of the tools he would need to keep him healthy, but we knew we would never be able to teach him how to “speak” gorilla. The fact that the females in his family (mom Azizi and aunts Imani and Ndjia) were all inexperienced moms, we hoped that raising Frank as a team would allow them to get practice in the skills that make a mother successful. (Read post, It Takes a Village to Raise a Gorilla.)
As a bunch of self-described “primate nerds,” we looked for some of the more subtle signals that would indicate a mutual learning process. The most obvious was transportation and locomotion. Generally speaking, we look for milestones in physical aptitude, and we start with the most basic: knuckle walking, climbing, and riding on the adult females’ backs. Although the physical adaptations for knuckle walking already exist, it does take some practice to get it right, and most infants begin their first forays into walking with an open hand (or palmer) approach. It takes a few months of practice, but one can see the subtle movements that lead to a more curled under, traditional knuckle walk.
We waited and watched, and Frank grasped this skill right on time. The trick then becomes determining when to open your hands for climbing and gaining enough balance to knuckle your way up onto an uneven surface (logs, rocks, etc.). When you look at some of Franks photos, you can see how his hands are much more parallel with the ground than the adults’ hands are when he climbs. Although he is using his knuckles to make contact, he is still putting most of his weight on his palm and hands. Subtle, but really fascinating if you’re a primate nerd!
Climbing was a little bit easier and came on much more effortlessly than the whole knuckle-walking thing. We made sure he had plenty of climbing opportunities in his bedroom area, and of course grasping is one of the first physical skills that develop in infant primates. As soon as a baby primate is born, he or she needs to be able to grasp on to Mom even while sleeping. The transition from using this skill on Mom to using it on a rope or a tree is generally a smooth one. This was certainly the case with Frank, and we often marveled over how someone that was so ungainly on all fours could happily suspend himself by one hand. This has now evolved into some pretty tricky moves in which he can suspend himself by his right hand while beating his chest with the left. Then comes the need to coordinate the feet in the whole climbing process, sometimes keeping a firm grasp on one object with his foot while negotiating a gap with his upper body. This still results in a sloppy tumble about half the time, but he maintains the confidence to keep trying, which is another trait that is reinforced by his close relationship with his family.
Being transported dorsally (on the back) or ventrally (on the chest) by one of the females is also something that takes a team effort. The females do most of the work to get him into position, but he needs to recognize the signals and cooperate a bit when the position gets awkward. Most female primates develop their own style when it comes to transporting a baby, and these three girls are no different. Azizi is the master of the ventral hold and is not real keen on the dorsal hook up. Ndjia is pretty good with both, but often prefers what we call the “furry football” approach in which she carries him by the rump with his arms and legs wrapped around her forearm. It’s a bumpy ride and Ndjia’s limp (from a leg injury as a juvenile) makes it look pretty uncoordinated. It suits her personality, however, and it sets her up nicely for a perfect tumble in which she ends up laying on her back with Frank in perfect tickle position.
Aunt Imani gives Frank a lift.
Paul Donn hangs out with his little son.
Before Frank was born, it was not uncommon for the three females to spend most of the day in proximity to one another while Paul rested in his favorite nap spot on the other side of the exhibit. About two months ago we started to see a subtle migration of the females to the periphery of Paul’s nap spot. Now, more and more frequently we can see the troop within visual contact of one another and the females spending less time out of range from their silverback. Paul and Frank have an incredible bond, and when they are inside it is usually the two of them who spend the most time together, which in turn draws the females in closer due to Frank.
Once again, the little guy’s impact on the entire troop has been almost immeasurable and has been the key to our goal of allowing these magnificent animals to express natural, normal gorilla behavior so that we can share that special connection with our guests. Please join us for the San Diego Zoo’s Discovery Days: Absolutely Apes, presented by Bridgeport Education, September 17 to 20, and learn more about all of our amazing great apes. Frank is serving as the San Diego Zoo’s ambassador for the WAZA (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums) 2009 Year of the Gorilla celebration.
Greg Vicino is an animal care supervisor at the San Diego Zoo. He’ll be presenting a talk about Frank at during a Special Speakers program at the Zoo on Wednesday, September 30.
Read more posts about apes and monkeys
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August 21st, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Thank you for such a heart-warming article Greg. Frank is learning everyday and so is the rest of the young troup. Will Frank be able to stay with them when he is older or is it only one mature male per troup?
August 21st, 2009 at 3:23 pm
I was just thinking about Frank and wondering about how things were going. This post had all the answers and more! Thank you so much.
August 21st, 2009 at 4:32 pm
You are correct, Lee; the traditional gorilla family usually only maintains one mature male. The younger males are encouraged to leave at sexual maturity by their father, or on their own volition due to the lack of suitable mates in the natal troop. However, one of the most fascinating things about primates is an uncanny connection to the ecology they are part of. We refer to it as socioecology, and it is how we describe differences in social structure (single male, solitary, female-bonded, multi-male multi-female, etc…), based on the availability and distribution of resources (food), and sexual competition (mates).
When we look at mountain gorillas Gorilla beringei beringei we see that they are much more likely to exist in a multi-male troop than western lowland gorillas Gorilla gorilla gorilla. The theory being this is possibly due to the vast amount of resources in that particular high-altitude environment, which equates to less feeding competition between the females, allowing for larger troops.
More girls generally opens the door for more males, thus the variation exists. Where resources are more scant and the competition between females is higher (as they are with the western lowland gorillas), females are more likely to want to join smaller troops, allowing more opportunities for males to be single troop leaders. That being said, some male western lowland gorillas will tolerate the presence of their male offspring for quite some time, even allowing them to mate with unrelated females in the troop. In fact, Frank’s father Paul Donn lived in the Wild Animal Park troop led by the silverback Winston until he was in his late teens. He even sired an infant while living in that troop!
We suspect Frank will leave this troop in his mid-teens and hopefully go on to have his own family someday.
August 21st, 2009 at 6:35 pm
What wonderful video! I just love this little guy. He is so precocious and entertaining. I always schedule my visits on days when little Frank is out on exhibit.
August 21st, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Greg, this is surely one of the best accounts I have read of a young gorilla’s, or for that matter any young animal’s, development on the blog. Well done.
August 21st, 2009 at 9:37 pm
This is wonderful to read. I have been following our baby gorilla Hasani here in SF (and am thrilled he’s finally a full-fledged member of his family!) but I really enjoy hearing about little Frank as well. This was a fascinating blog entry–thanks!
August 22nd, 2009 at 6:16 am
H I was wondering how many gorillas are in your other troop and a brief bio on each? Thanks!
August 22nd, 2009 at 7:13 am
Thank you Greg for this beautiful update about Frank, not only is it full of information but also very heart warming, Frank is a true credit to you all
August 22nd, 2009 at 12:10 pm
after the panda birth..now SDZ is on course with the blogs! thanks for the tale of a mighty frank..his one handsome guy
August 22nd, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Thank you for the wonderful account of Frank’s development and impact on the troop during his first year! What sort of development to you expect to see in Frank’s second year? And how long do you suspect it would be before another female in the troop becomes a mother, to see what they have learned?
Lastly, when is Frank and his troop presently on exhibit? It has been amazing watching his development!
August 22nd, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Is there any schedule for what days Paul Donn’s troop is on exhibit. Memba’s troop was on exhibit the day I was at the zoo this week. I love all the gorillas but I really want to see Frank.
Moderator’s note: Frank and his troop can be seen every other day.
August 23rd, 2009 at 6:40 am
finally an up-date on little frank! thanks greg! it sounds like the little fellow is doing great and learning new things from the family everyday!! I especially like the picture of frank and his daddy paul donn!! big daddy seems to enjoy his little son and tolerates more from him than anyone else! lol ( like stealing food)
in the picture paul donn looks like SUCH A PARENT! hands on hips etc. VERY FUNY AND HUMANIZING!
I wish it was possible to have a web cam like the polar bears, panda bears, and orangutangs! although the latter isn’t too good ( orangutangs) I think the glare from the sun or possibly the location of the camera is the problem. oh, I forgot, the elephants! sometimes the close-ups are really awesome! anyhow, I am happy to hear my favorite little guy is doing well. don’t forget to up-date us every once in awhile!! gorilla lover forever!
August 23rd, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Hey Greg, I am Max the kid you met in March. You let me go on the roof. I saw all the gorillas a week ago. Frank is growing! He was playing with me through the glass. He was also playing with Paul Donn. And then he was sleeping with Imani. Please give me an update on all the gorillas. Hope to see you soon.
from Max
August 23rd, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Thank you Greg for a most interesting read. Good to know that little Frank is in capable hands. Can just picture Auntie Imani letting him learn on his own; and then providing a helping hand. Love the picture of Dad and son! As nancy from MI says he does look most fatherly.
August 25th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Thank you Greg for that story! Gorillas are the best animals in the galaxy! – Eddie with help from his mom.
August 25th, 2009 at 9:10 am
thanks for the story about Frank!
August 25th, 2009 at 9:16 am
I am an avid reader of this blog and this is the best one I have eaver read. Thanks Greg
August 25th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Great update on Frank and I too love the photo of him with his proud father! Good to see he is integrating so well within the troop!
August 25th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Nice update about Frank.
The San Diego Zoo has SO many great exhibits (pandas, koalas, Polar Bear Plunge, etc) that sometimes I forget how great Gorilla Tropics is! Truly wonderful.
Allen Nyhuis, Coauthor, America’s Best Zoos
September 1st, 2009 at 8:21 am
I LOVE Frankie. He is SOOOOOOOOOO adorable and so much fun to watch! I understand Paul Donn’s family comes out every other day, but how can one keep track?
Is there a phone # I can call to ask if Frankie’s family is out to view that day?
Frankie’s first birthday is this Friday the 4th. Will there be any celebration going on? like a party, perhaps?
Will Frankie be on view this Friday?
I want to celebrate with him. Can I bring him a gift? Can I give him a birthday hug?
Thank you
signed:
A FRANKIE FAN!!
September 4th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Happy Birthday, Baby Frank!!!!!! I hope you have lots of fun for your birthday. Can’t wait to see you one day.
September 4th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Great photos of Frank and his klan.What you have is a very happy baby.You also have a extremely proud Pa Pa, Ma Ma, and family.Your exhibit is a true sucess.I would love to be able to experience holding and interacting with Frank.This is one of your jobs reward.Keep up the great work.What you do helps all apes around the world.Thanks for doing what you do.
The Very Best To You
David Hammill
Hollywood,Fl.
September 5th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Sorry I have yet to answer many of your questions, but it has been a busy few weeks getting ready for Discovery Days: Absolutely Apes and the birthday celebrations. The most common question seems to be what days Frank is on exhibit, so I will let you guys in on the trick I use to keep track…
He is out every other day, so I just pick a day in which I know (or knew) that he was out, and mark my calendar with a little “f”. I carry that out for three months at a time, marking every other day from that one with the same “f”. The keeper staff is amazing about keeping those schedules, so this method is very rarely wrong. His Birthday (September 4th) was the last day he was out, so count on him for the 6th, 8th, 10th, etc…
Of course you could always call our amazing Visitor Assistance folks, who can tell you pretty much anything about what our Zoo has going on, at any given moment. Have fun and I hope to see you all for Discovery Days!
September 5th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Happy birthday Frank!
September 6th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Thanks for the update about Frank! I’ve been wondering how he has been doing in the last few months, and now I know! Sounds like he has been doing great, and the whole gorilla group has been responding very well to him. Hopefully, all of the adult females will be gaining the experience they will need now, so that when one or all of them get pregnant, they will be able to handle raising a baby gorilla on their own without any of the keepers having to intervene again. Keep us updated on all of them, ok?
Thanks,
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
PS: Kibibi, the baby female gorilla at the National Zoo in DC, will be going on 8 months this month (Sept.)! She’s doing very well, and her mom, Mandara, has done an excellent job raising her so far. If you go on the Zooborns website, there are alot of pics of baby monkeys and apes that have been born in several zoos in the last couple of months. These pics are sooooo cute, you’ll just fall in love with them! Go check them out, ok? Have fun with your Labor Day holiday!
September 9th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Chari i see Kibibi every day I will give the updates. She is fine sfe was playing with her 2 big brothers today! Stop giving Kibibi updates
September 10th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Greg, What an incredible wealth of information you have provided on this blog. Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed and fascinating info about Frank and his beautiful family. It is AMAZING the way he was accepted back into the group and is a true testament to what great care he and the rest of the troop has received from the SDZ. To think…in a normal scenario he would still be in a nursery and no where near his HUGE Silverback dad, Paul. What amazing insight you guys had
Keep up the good work and Happy Birthday baby Frank!
September 10th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Max, I gave the update about Kibibi for EVERYONE to read in case they have not been able to go to the National Zoo website. You need to lighten up about what I write in my comments, ok?
Now, I do have some news about Atlanta Zoo’s Bornean Orangutan named Miri. Just found out on their news page that Miri will be having her second baby sometime next spring, 2010! She gave birth to Satu, a young male orangutan, 5 years ago, and he still hangs around his mom. Atlanta Zoo has 10 Bornean Orangs on exhibit, and the new baby will make it 11 orangs next spring. Let’s hope that Miri’s pregnancy will be uneventful and successful, ok?
Didn’t get on the ape cam today since I was at a doctor’s appointment. Will get on the ape cam sometime tomorrow to check them out.
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
September 11th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Sorry Chari I just had a hard day It has been togh recently.
September 16th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Which Orangatan was rolling the full length of the ground in front of the viewing window at 6 PM on 9/16? They were sure having fun, and determined to roll as far as possible. It must have been great for keepers and anyone there in person to watch. The camera moved with the action, so I know at least one person saw it in person.
Moderator’s note: It was probably Karen; she LOVES to roll!
September 17th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Thanks. She was having a blast yesterday. I had not seen any of them that close to the window in that behavior before. Usually they were sitting and snacking or making faces.
September 18th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Max (#29), just read your short little comment, and I do accept your apology. I know that this economy can make anybody have a bad day; it has been a tough road for all of us.
It’s been about a week since I have written on this blog. Have been busy with personal stuff at home, appointments, and watching the cutest panda cub on the cams!
Anyway, I got extremely lucky and blessed a couple of days ago when I got on the NZ gorilla cam, and I FINALLY got the chance to see Momma Mandara and her baby girl, Kibibi, on the cam for the very first time! I have been trying to catch these 2 gorillas on the cam for months, and patience won out! Kibibi stuck close to her mom playing with her and a branch of leaves. One of the male juvenile gorillas was playing tag on her, but Kibibi was doing her own thing. Loved it, you all!
What’s been going on during Absolutely Apes this weekend? I’m sure that Frank is just enjoying all of the attention from his gorilla troop and the people that have come out to see him and the other apes. How’s Janey doing in her old age? Still painting? Hope she is doing well.
Gonna go for now. Will be back tomorrow to check the ape cam.
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Moderator’s note: Video of Absolutely Apes can be found at http://www.sandiegozoo.org/videos/?bcpid=4552241001&bclid=5172095001&bctid=40958492001
September 25th, 2009 at 10:39 am
This is a great post, Greg. Thank you. Absolutely everyone loves hearing stories about the babies and the families. San Diego Zoo does a first rate job of exemplifying the importantance of family life, for apes, great cats, elephants, and numerous other wildlife in general. We might never be exposed to these facts, if not for the zoos in America and the rest of the world. Thank you all for what you do in that arena, and for your contribution to conservation, an unmeasurable benefit to all endangered species. SDZ rocks!
September 25th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Another thought, regarding the cam on your site. If you can’t move the camera to a more friendly environ, I think it would really help the sun glare to put a filter on the lens. Otherwise, it is often impossible to see anything but a washed out view. Just a suggestion. Thanks.
September 29th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Thanks for this update
I heard that Jessica and Winston the gorilla’s were recommended to breed by the SSP this year, do you happen to know if there is a pregnancy yet or if they have been seen copulating?
September 29th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Jessica is at the Park?
September 30th, 2009 at 11:57 am
To #35 and #36, Calvin and Max
Actually, that was not a recommendation, and Jessica lives at the Zoo in Memba’s troop.
October 2nd, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Oh I forgot that Winston lived at The park, sorry
I just remembered Jessica was asked to breed with one of the males
October 11th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Recently I have become more interested in animals than before. I am sad that I live 100 miles away. I love the day trip. I love the fact that the window lets you get to and inch close. I am sure that when I visit, there is one female that talks to me with her eyes. I wish I could hug one, of course I guess I would be crushed? is there a way to measure the power? Do you see a loving family as do strangers? Do they recognize keepers?
Moderator’s note: To learn more about primates directly from the keepers that work with them, please read blog posts in our Apes & Monkeys category.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:53 am
I love the way we get answers, I am sort of new at SDZ blogs, and I love it. Just wanted to say I wish there was a GORILLA cam, because the other Ape cam does not show clearly all the time. I know we are loving the Panda cam, and in summer the Elephant cam cause a couple months ago the babies were in the water, not to leave out Polar Bear swimmers and that blue ball, but Ape cam has a glare, and I love the Gorillas the best. Ours at the SDZ are handsome apes, cuter than Los Angeles Zoo, (sorry LAZoo). There is one female that I love, she is very dark and sleek, and loves to sit against the window, and once when I was there she mimic kissed me on the glass, no SWEAR, does she recognize keepers, or “silver hair”? I have gray hair. I was so shocked I could not even take a picture. I will remember forever. I wish I could see the “bedrooms” of the gorillas like the pandas. Maybe I would not be so impressed if I saw a plain cement square, like the Pandas, no wonder they love to come outside. How is their life on the inside? Love the Gorillas, I didn’t know how much til she “kissed” the glass.
October 17th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
What do you meen cuter than L.A. they are both adorable! Our gorillas are cute to! I go to L.A. almost everyday in the summer.
October 24th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Where are the ape bloggers? I want a close up of the Orangies, they are fun to watch, can the ape cam zoom?
October 27th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Does anyone know what gorilla troop was on display on Friday, October 23. 2009? There was a silverback, three other adults, and a baby. Was that Frank and his family?
Moderator’s note: Yes indeed!
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Could someone tell us the story again, about the male gorilla with the short name starting with “M” I think, I can’t remember what the Keeper said. However, he did say that one male got “kicked out” of the family?? but you have more than one gorilla family so, I have only been there with Paul Donns family, but a couple times after 4:00 there has been one single male who sits to the side kind of shy. Could you tell us that story again if you havent??? I got to the zoo a little later than normal, and missed alot, because there was only one gorilla….Nov 3
November 5th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Maka is the male you are thinking of Claudia
Moderator’s note: Yes, and Greg says he’ll write a blog post about Maka.
November 6th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
I have recently became very interested in gorillas, and I have a few questions?
1. I know there are two troops, so are there two gorilla exhibits, or is there just one? To me, it doesn’t make sense to have 2 gorilla troops, and one exhibit; I thinks it’s better to have two exhibits, one for Paul Donn’s troop, and another for Memba’s troop.
2. Is Frank going to be on exhibit on November 14? I’m coming to San Diego that weekend.
3. I never understood the Father’s role in a gorilla troop. Can someone explain it to me?
Moderator’s note: Your questions have been forwarded to the keepers so we can answer your questions accurately. We’ll post their reply here when they have time to get back to us.
November 7th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Thank you so much for answering us, me, in these blogs. I have been a Panda follower, but love the Gorillas as much or more, and wish there was a Gorilla cam. Currently I do not have to cook dinner, so I live vicariously through the blogs. If I ever break a leg, I will be at home reading and typing and watching videos, thanks again