New Male Gorilla at ZSL London Zoo

London, United Kingdom, February 28, 2010 --(PR.com)-- A new male gorilla is proving to be a hit with ZSL London Zoo’s female gorillas.

The arrival of Yeboah, 12 has caused quite a stir with the Zoo’s three female gorillas Zaire, 35, Effie, 16 and Jookie, 11 who will barely leave him alone.

Zookeepers say the three ladies are captivated by the 20 stone male, who arrived shortly before Christmas from La Boissière Du Dore Zoo in France.

The girls, who have lacked male attention since the death of silverback Bobby in December 2008, were given pictures of their new French stud last summer – and zookeepers say it was love at first sight for the trio.

In the next few months visitors will be able to watch Yeboah transform from a blackback into a silverback gorilla as he learns to dominate his new group.

Daniel Simmonds, a Zookeeper at Gorilla Kingdom, said: “Yeboah’s a very charming gorilla and is having to quickly turn from a boy into man now he’s met our more experienced female gorillas.

“He lived with a silverback gorilla before he came here which means that he has remained a blackback gorilla – but that’s definitely going to change now he’s dating three girls at once.”

Photographers /film crews are invited to come into the Zoo on Monday to see the three female gorillas with their new French beau.

Viewing will be across the gorilla moat, with no obstructions. A long lens may be required.

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Editors notes:

· Blackback to silverback gorillas: Blackbacks are sexually mature males of up to 11 years of age. They turn into silverbacks when they become the dominant male in a group of gorillas. A silverback is an adult male gorilla, usually more than 12 years of age and named because of the distinctive patch of silver hair on his back. A silverback gorilla has large canine teeth that come with maturity. They also have a big broad shoulders and a large crest.

· Gorilla Kingdom was opened in Easter 2007 and was partly funded with a legacy left to ZSL London Zoo by a long-serving volunteer as well as donations on the gate. Through the development of this exhibit ZSL has pledged to contribute £500,000 to the conservation of gorillas in the wild through our conservation programmes.

· Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are classified as critically endangered by the IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature. They are found in the tropical rainforests of Angola (Cabinda); Cameroon; Central African Republic; Congo; Equatorial Guinea; Gabon. Like all gorilla subspecies, the western lowland gorilla is threatened by illegal hunting, disease, and habitat loss and degradation. They are herbivores and feed on leaves, nuts and branches.

· ZSL gorilla conservation The gorillas at ZSL London Zoo are the western lowland subspecies. ZSL works for the conservation of the western lowland gorilla through a number of field projects. In Lopé National Park in Gabon, ZSL is developing a research project at the Mikongo Conservation Centre conducting research into gorilla ecology and human health.

· Founded in 1826, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is an international scientific, conservation and educational charity: our key role is the conservation of animals and their habitats. The Society runs ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, carries out scientific research in the Institute of Zoology and is actively involved in field conservation in other countries worldwide. For further information please visit www.zsl.org

ZSL London Zoo is open from 10.00am to 6.00pm during the summer months. Prices are £16.50 (including donations) if you’re 16+ and £13.50 for children, under 3’s go free. For further information please visit www.zsl.org