The other gorillas in the group are doing well and are being monitored closely. Gyasi's son Kiango, Bao Bao's first offspring, is well taken care of by the gorilla group.
About Gyasi
Gyasi was born at Apenheul 20 years ago. She was a daughter of Dalila and silverback Bongo, one of the gorilla icons at Apenheul. Gyasi displayed her strong character from an early age. Although she was the youngest female in the group, with all her spunk and sometimes rebellious tendencies, the older gorillas took notice of her early on. Gyasi first became a mother to daughter Tayari in 2011, who was moved to Taipei Zoo in November 2019. In 2020, Tayari gave birth to a son, making Gyasi a grandmother. Gyasi had a good relationship with all the gorillas, including gorilla leader Bao Bao. She gave birth to their son Kiango in February 2021. Kiango was quite the handful, and since his birth, Gyasi calmed down.
Impact on the group
Apenheul now has eight gorillas remaining. They live in two groups on different islands. With Gyasi's death, the group will have to get used to the new composition, but it is not expected to have a major impact. It will affect Bao Bao, as he had a good relationship with her and, of course, her 1.5-year-old son Kiango. The care of infants is a shared task in a gorilla group. Kiango gets on well with the other animals in the group, and it looks like they are already taking over his care. The zookeepers will keep a close eye on this. The gorillas are on-exhibit as usual.
The death of Gyasi is a great loss for Apenheul and the zookeepers in particular. We will miss her!