FRANKLIN, MASS. (WHDH) - Gorilla “Little Joe” at the Franklin Park Zoo will soon have a new home, per a breeding recommendation by the Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP).
Little Joe, 33, will move to another institution in the coming months where it is hoped he will start his own family.
“This news is bittersweet to share as we will all miss Little Joe, but we are also excited for this opportunity for him to lead his own troop and start a family, which is important for the preservation of the species. Months of careful planning and tremendous thought goes into these recommendations and this is not something that we enter into lightly,” said Stephanie Brinley, Zoo New England President and CEO. “We are deeply committed to the conservation of this iconic species, and broadening people’s understanding of the interconnectedness of nature as well as the role we all play in preserving species and habitats for generations to come.”
In turn, the Franklin Park Zoo will bring in two young gorillas later this spring, and a silverback gorilla will also join the gorilla family at the zoo later on in the year.
Little Joe is a Western lowland gorilla, which are considered critically endangered in the wild, according to the Franklin Park Zoo.
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