A new face is leading the gorilla troop at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Disney introduced Bakari, a male western lowland gorilla now living in the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. He’s stepping into the role of the head of the family group after arriving from the Saint Louis Zoo. His arrival follows the death of Gino, the longtime troop leader who passed away last fall. Here’s the backstory on how Bakari got here.
New Silverback Bakari Joins the Gorilla Troop at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- Bakari fills the role left open after Gino, the troop’s leader for nearly 30 years, passed away last September.
- His move to Florida came from a conservation breeding program for a critically endangered subspecies.
Disney Welcomes Bakari to Gorilla Falls
Disney announced that Bakari, a male western lowland gorilla, has joined the family troop at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. He now lives in the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail in the Africa section of the park, stepping into the role of silverback, the dominant male that leads a gorilla family group. Disney shared the news on social media, saying he’ll begin his role as the head of the family and encouraging guests to watch for him on the trail. Sightings depend on the day, so there’s no guarantee he’ll be visible during any given visit.
Bakari fills a position that opened last fall. As we reported, Gino, the troop’s silverback for nearly 30 years, passed away in September at 44 years old, after fathering 14 offspring and leading the gorilla family at the park. Disney rarely issues public statements when an animal passes, but it made an exception for Gino. His death left the troop without a silverback, and Bakari now takes on that leadership role.
Where Bakari Came From, and Why
Bakari is 21 years old and arrived from the Saint Louis Zoo, which announced his move on June 25. He was born at Brookfield Zoo in 2005 and came to Saint Louis in 2011, where he lived in a bachelor troop at the zoo’s Jungle of the Apes. The Saint Louis Zoo said this bachelor troop prepares adult males, also known as silverbacks, for the possibility of leading a family in the future.
That setup mirrors how gorillas live in the wild, where silverbacks and young adult males travel together until they join a breeding group. Bakari’s move to Florida came from a breeding recommendation under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Western Lowland Gorilla Species Survival Plan, a program that manages a genetically healthy population of the subspecies across accredited North American zoos.
The stakes are higher than one animal changing homes. Western lowland gorillas are the most common of the four gorilla subspecies, but they are critically endangered and face extinction in the wild. Giving Bakari the chance to lead his own family group at Disney’s Animal Kingdom adds to the managed population the program is working to strengthen.
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