Columbia zoo’s new gorillas now on public display

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Guests visiting Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo and Garden can now see the zoo’s new family of four western lowland gorillas.

Zoo officials announced Thursday that the group’s debut comes after a nearly four-month introduction process.

The troop is led by Cenzoo, a 19-year-old silverback from the Birmingham Zoo. The other members include 20-year-old Acacia from the North Carolina Zoo and 9-year-olds Kazi and Macy from Zoo Atlanta.

The gorillas’ moves were recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Gorilla Species Survival Plan, which aims to ensure that the population of gorillas in North American zoos is self-sustaining and genetically diverse.

Riverbanks curator of mammals John Davis says the gorillas are adapting well to their environment.

Western lowland gorillas are a critically endangered species found in tropical West African rainforests.