Ndume
Resident Silverback Gorillaa
Ndume (which means “male” in Swahili) is a 400 pound lowland gorilla who came to the Gorilla Foundation in 1991 at age 10. He was selected by Koko in a “video dating” process, from among a number of other zoo-born gorillas. Ndume had already fathered 4 children (at the Cincinnati Zoo) before joining the Foundation. Although Ndume is not formally part of the sign language project, the Foundation is observing and noting his interactions with Koko and the gestures that he is using, learning and creating. Ndume is an extremely sweet, sensitive and intelligent silverback. It is hoped that he and Koko will mate—or become foster parents—to help ensure the survival of their species.
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