The troop of western lowland gorillas had not been around running water before, so they were very wary of the pool and stream at first. Kimba Kumba's curiosity got the better of him, though, and once he had explored the water and suffered no ill effects, the others gradually grew accustomed to it as well. Because the new habitat was considerably larger than their former exhibit, it also took the gorillas—typically cautious by nature—a while to spread out and make use of their new opportunities. Memba, in particular, soon discovered that having expanded room for noisy, blustering, branch-waving, chest-beating displays was a nice upgrade. Overall, the new tropical setting seemed to suit the troop—and one exciting result was that Jessica gave birth to a baby boy, Mike, nine months after Gorilla Tropics opened.

1991

Expansion 1987 - 1996

Gorilla Tropics: The Michael Dingman Family African Rain Forest opened in 1991, an expansive new home for the Zoo’s western lowland gorillas. The lush habitat included elements like a stream and waterfall for the sounds of running water, a large grassy clearing for playing and lounging, rocks and logs for climbing, and a lush variety of African plants for shade, browsing, and a little privacy when desired. Silverback Memba, adult females Alvila and Jessica, adolescent male Kimba Kumba, and youngsters Milt and Penny were the first gorillas to live in the new habitat.