Little Joe, gorilla that once escaped Franklin Park Zoo, is leaving Boston

Little Joe is leaving Boston after decades at the Franklin Park Zoo.

The zoo did not say exactly where the 33-year-old gorilla is going, but said he'll move to an accredited institution, "where it is hoped that he will be successful in starting his own family."

In 2003, Little Joe made national headlines when he escaped his enclosure and ran into the city, injuring a 2-year-old girl. The zoo made safety upgrades in the years that followed.

Little Joe is a western lowland gorilla, which is a critically endangered species that is threatened in the wild by disease and poaching, as well as logging and mining practices, the zoo said.

"This news is bittersweet to share as we will all miss Little Joe, but we are also excited for this opportunity for him to lead his own troop and start a family, which is important for the preservation of the species," Zoo New England president and CEO Stephanie Brinley said in a statement. 

Little Joe will leave Boston sometime in the coming months. As part of the breeding program, he will be replaced by two young gorillas in the spring. One of them is an 8-year-old named Moke that is currently at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Later in the year, a male silverback gorilla will come to Boston from another zoo.

The two young gorillas will join a 5-year-old at Franklin Park Zoo named Pablo to form a "bachelor group," the zoo said.

"Pablo is reaching the age where he will be testing his family and pushing boundaries more," assistant curator Erica Farrell said. "We hope that Pablo will bond with his new bachelor troop members while they are still young and develop relationships that will help them grow together through their teenage years, and beyond."