Pittsburgh Zoo acquires 33-year-old Little Joe in gorilla trade with Boston's Franklin Park Zoo
Pittsburgh and Boston are making a trade. But instead of negotiating with athletes, they're swapping gorillas.
The Pittsburgh Zoo announced on Thursday that it's saying goodbye to Frankie, a 7-year-old male western lowland gorilla who was born to mom Moka in 2018, and welcoming 33-year-old silverback Little Joe from Boston's Franklin Park Zoo.
The Pittsburgh Zoo says the move is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' gorilla species survival plan, which ensures that critically endangered gorillas in human care maintain a healthy and genetically diverse population.
Frankie heads to Boston
Frankie, who gets high praise from his keepers for his "good vibes," will join a recently formed bachelor group with two other male gorillas his size and age in Boston.
The Pittsburgh Zoo explains that as young male gorillas mature, they reach a point where they're too old to be juveniles, but too young to be silverbacks, so usually they band together with other "blackbacks." These bachelor groups allow non-breeding males to live social lives while minimizing competition, the zoo says.
Little Joe comes to Pittsburgh
Little Joe made national headlines more than 20 years ago when he escaped his enclosure and ran into Boston, injuring a young girl. The zoo made safety upgrades after that, and since then, Little Joe has stayed put and garnered a reputation for being "curious, intelligent and gentle." He also reportedly gets along well with other gorillas and is a quick learner.
The Franklin Park Zoo announced he was leaving in April, but didn't say where he'd go.
Gorilla families are usually made up of one male, several females and the juveniles. The hope is that Little Joe will fit in with the Pittsburgh Zoo's two females, 29-year-old Moka and 35-year-old Ibo, and the younger gorillas, 3-year-old Charlotte and 2-year-old Bo. The move comes after Ivan died in 2024 and Harry died the following year.
When will Pittsburghers get to see Little Joe?
Visitors won't be able to see Little Joe right away. It will take some time to get him settled and introduced to his new troop members.
"Given the intelligence of a gorilla, personalities, and group dynamics we will be working at their pace and comfort level as to when it will be appropriate to introduce them," says assistant mammal curator Karen Vacco said in a press release. "The best-case scenario is four to seven weeks. During this whole time, we will be working on keeper trust. Once he is comfortable with his surroundings, then we will look at physical introductions. He will have visual access to the troop during this time."
When Little Joe is ready for his big debut, visitors will be able to see him in the Tropical Forest Complex.
