From an Eccentric Cub to One of the Most Famous Gorillas in Europe

On August 8, 1974, a cub named Tony was born to the family of lowland gorillas Fritz and Delphi from the Nuremberg Zoo.

Since childhood, Tony was distinguished by a somewhat self-centered and unsociable character, and German specialists made considerable efforts to socialize him in various groups. So, for two decades, he changed several zoos in the following cities: Nuremberg, Hanover and Saarbrücken.

In 1999, the curator of gorillas at EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquariums) decided to transfer Tony the gorilla to Kyiv Zoo, where the female Dora lived at the time. So on September 29, at the age of 25, Tony arrived at our zoo. But all attempts to unite Tony and Dora were in vain, they constantly conflicted and zoo specialists were forced to keep them in different enclosures.

Unfortunately, in the 2000s, the condition of Kyiv Zoo deteriorated rapidly due to management incompetence that led to a crisis, and in 2009-2013 there was an attempt to finally destroy the zoo taking its territory under a residential complex. And only thanks to the public, the caring citizens of Kyiv and the attention of the European community, it was possible to save the entire Kyiv Zoo together with Tony the gorilla.

You can understand the scope of zoo’s problems at the time by following the link: https://zn.ua/ukr/internal/zoopark_periodu_svavillya.html  

➡️ THE TRANSLATION OF THIS ARTICLE IS HERE

In 2014 Kyiv Zoo’s work format changed. Approaching European standards and modern standards of animal husbandry became a priority of the work. And Tony the gorilla was among the first to experience these improvements. Finally, instead of a cage with bars, a cozy, bright enclosure made of wood and glass and a small green summer yard appeared.

Already in 2016, the public was presented with the concept of the future Kyiv Zoo as an institution of the modern world level. The concept was developed together with the specialists of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). And in 2017, a large-scale reconstruction of KyivZoo began. Unfortunately, the war stopped the construction of a new modern Monkey House but immediately after our Victory the enclosure for our gorilla will be one of the first to be completed.

Now Tony has been given a temporary, spacious, bright 200-square-meter enclosure with access to his own green hacienda with an area of about 500 square meters.

For the well-being of the gorilla, there are: a rocky ridge, a wooden platform, a bed, a hammock, an aquarium with fish, an artificial anthill, a basketball hoop, a fruit drum, and even a TV with popular science programs about the world around us.

Keeping a gorilla is a very complicated and laborious process. It involves a whole group of various zoo specialists: veterinarians, zoologists, zootechnicians and scientists. The physical condition and behavior of the animal is the object of daily attention and the subject of discussion with specialists of the European community. All of Tony’s vital signs are carefully measured and recorded in the international electronic database Species 360: Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS).

Numerous professional recommendations for keeping and caring for gorillas are provided in the form of online communication and written recommendations. And in case of urgent cases, veterinarians and zoologists are always ready to go to Kyiv to strengthen our team.

So, in 2019, Tony showed signs of acute stomach problems that required urgent diagnosis and appropriate veterinary measures. Therefore, upon our invitation, colleagues from the German Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinary Medicine promptly arrived at KyivZoo.

Together with our veterinarians, a full examination of the stomach, intestines, heart, and overall condition of the gorilla was conducted; measures for anesthesia and inflammation relief were taken; an individual therapeutic diet was prescribed, considering the age and species characteristics of the animal. A special program for moderate physical activity was also developed. As a result of these joint efforts, Tony recovered and currently feels well— as well as can be expected at his age.

At 51 years old, which translates to over 90 in human years, our old Tony leads a calm and measured lifestyle. He enjoys interacting with his zookeepers, whom he sincerely considers members of his family. Over half a century, he has developed his own preferences and habits: watching his favorite shows and magazines, playing ball, climbing the rocky outcrop, ascending the wooden platform, strolling through his green estate, resting in a soft hammock, turning the fruit drum, extracting natural honey from an improvised “termite mound,” cracking seeds, savoring fresh tomato juice and kefir, and taking sweet naps in fragrant hay.

By nature, Tony is cautious, distrustful, moderately aggressive, thoughtful, and extremely self-loving. He must always be the only one and the main focus. Among the keepers, he recognizes only women as family members, communicating with them through gestures and allowing them to care for him. He does not tolerate the approach of male staff and expresses his discontent and disrespect in various ways. He treats visitors with a bit of condescension, although sometimes he shows interest in someone and may engage in communication, expressing his curiosity through facial expressions and various gestures.