GORILLA WARFARE
Zoo’s gorilla troop needed a little intervention to avoid a great-ape version of Game of Thrones
Things get a little hairy in zoo’s ape kingdom when a young gorilla decides to challenge the boss — his dad.
Staff at the Toronto Zoo have thwarted a primal prince’s plan to usurp his father’s throne by giving him a kingdom of his own.
It’s a unique approach that will preserve the reign of Charles, a silverback gorilla who has held his “King of the Jungle” post since the zoo opened more than 40 years ago.
Two weeks ago, keepers separated Charles and his son Sadiki to prevent a potential chaotic cage match.
This creation of a “bachelor troop” is a daring move for the zoo’s resident Western Lowland Gorilla experts because the species is known for its complex social structure. Each animal in the group has a distinct and dynamic personality.
Weighing 90 kilograms, Sadiki sports a lean but muscular build with a brownishgrey coat and auburn crest. He was raised primarily by his father after his mother, Samantha, died following a stroke.
“As Charles’ kid, he was able to get away with a lot of stuff,” said Ali Vella-Irving, one of the zoo’s gorilla keepers. Charles wouldn’t take kindly to other gorillas disciplining his son, she explained.
Yet troubles began last summer when keepers noticed Sadiki, now a boisterous 11-year-old, begin to show an interest in the throne. The resulting animal drama played out as if it were nature’s own version of Game of Thrones.
It put keepers on guard. “If anyone goes against the hierarchy, it will cause conflict,” said Vella-Irving. “The role of the silverback is to keep everyone in check.”
Just like a smart-aleck, hormonally challenged teenager, Sadiki began to spar with his dad. Hoots were hollered but Charles put up with his son’s sparring — Vella-Irving described it as Sadiki getting in his face. But like every parent, eventually his patience waned. And who would blame him? At 45 years old, he’s arthritic, sore and well past his prime. After all, fathering more than 10 kids takes its toll.
“We saw behaviour indicating it wasn’t going to be much longer before a fight,” said Vella-Irving.
If a fight were to break out, however, the keepers said it would hardly resemble a Hollywood-style beast brawl. Gorillas generally don’t go ape. Altercations are more likely to take the form of boxing match, but with more bluffing and less brawling. In gorilla society, standing upright sends just as powerful a message as baring teeth and pulling hair.