Zoo staff has begun to reintroduce Hadari into the gorilla group. The process began on January 19, 2010 with Rosie, the grandmother. Rosie had taken excellent care of Hadari so the next phase was to introduce Mosuba (nicknamed Mo), the grandfather. Zoo staff hoped Mo would provide stability during the reintroduction process which has worked perfectly. At this time, Mo keeps his distance from Rosie and Hadari, but Zoo staff anticipates Hadari to become much closer to Mo in the next several weeks.
Hadari was born on July 27, 2009 to Timu, his mother, and Samson, his father. Timu successfully cared for Hadari for three weeks until he unfortunately suffered from a broken arm. Zoo staff worked quickly to ensure proper healing. A special vest, made to simulate the mother’s hair, was worn by Zoo staff to teach Hadari how to grasp and hold on. He was then cared for by keepers, animal care staff and docents around the clock. The origin of the break is unknown as it happened over night. The goal had always been to reintroduce Hadari so he was continually kept near the group so they could smell, watch and interact.
Mo, Rosie and Hadari can be seen in the large display on weekends from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Hubbard Gorilla Valley. Zoo staff will continue to work towards the next phases in the process which include Timu, the mother and Bambio, the older sister.