Comments about ‘Bachelor pad: Hogle Zoo forms silverback companionship’

Hogle is only the 2nd zoo in the US to cohabitate bachelor gorillas? Really? The Milwaukee County Zoo has had a bachelor group (Hodari and Maji Maji) living together for several years. You may also want to check Zoo Atlanta's bachelor group population as well as the Animal Kingdom in FL.

But are those silverback gorillas?

Maji Maji & Hodari are teen males, are not silverback yet, and therefore do not have dominance issues yet. Essentially, only one other zoo has taken gorillas of actual "silverback" status and combined them. The phrase "bachelor group" has also been used to describe groups of adolescent males living together, as well as one silverback with other adolescent males living together, which is why that was confusing.

Yes, the gorillas at MCZ are silverbacks - one is 19 and the other 16.

so these two males are now living together... let's just hope they don't want to get married... :)

To COMET: the teen males in Milwaukee have definitely reached silverback status and there have been dominance issues for almost a dozen years. There are quite a few zoos, as GORILLAS stated, that have had bachelor groups for years. And you are right, it doesn't take a silverback to have a "bachelor group". But more than one zoo has had silverbacks in a bachelor group before this pairing in Hogle.

COMET: I'd hate to be the one to break the news to Hodari and Maji Maji that they AREN'T silverbacks & apparently all of the aggressive interaction they've had over the past several years must've just been 'playing'. Typically the age groups of gorillas are categorized as: infants, juveniles, blackbacks (males) and silverbacks (males). There is no 'teen male' category as male gorillas generally reach 'silverback' status around ages 11-13, when their backs turn silver and they mature sexually.

I do hope that Hogle Zoo will take special good care
of these two fine gentlemen and see that the public
behaves themselves so the two gorillas can live in
peace. I trust Tino will understand Husani's show-
manship. If Husani is anything like his Father,Barney, there should be no problems at all.

Having a place for bachelor gorillas to live is very important in the zoos' coordinated efforts to extend this endangered species. They are basically there in a holding pattern, waiting for the time to be right for them to go mate with the genetically right female. Way to go, Hogle Zoo!

Allen Nyhuis, Coauthor: America's Best Zoos