\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Franklin Park Zoo\u2019s beloved western lowland gorilla Little Joe is moving to Pittsburgh as part of the American Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Gorilla Species Survival Plan, the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium said Thursday. Last month, the Franklin Park Zoo said Little Joe, 33, would be leaving Boston to begin his own family at another accredited institution, but did not say where he was headed. In return, Pittsburgh’s 7-year-old western lowland gorilla, Frankie, will come to Boston.”Both moves were designed to provide a healthy, genetically diverse population of critically endangered gorillas in human care,” Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium posted.”This news is bittersweet to share as we will all miss Little Joe, but we are also excited for this opportunity for him to lead his own troop and start a family, which is important for the preservation of the species. Months of careful planning and tremendous thought goes into these recommendations, and this is not something that we enter into lightly,” Zoo New England President and CEO Stephanie Brinley said in April.In addition to Frankie, Franklin Park Zoo will also welcome Moke, an 8-year-old from the Smithsonian\u2019s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Franklin Park\u2019s youngest gorilla, Pablo, 5, will join the new additions to form a bachelor group.Western lowland gorillas are considered critically endangered in the wild. They are found in the countries of Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the Republic of Congo, Angola, the Central African Republic and Nigeria. Threats to gorillas vary geographically, and western gorillas are primarily threatened by disease, poaching for the bushmeat trade, and unsustainable logging and mining practices.In September 2003, Little Joe made headlines when he escaped his Franklin Park Zoo enclosure, attacked a young girl and her babysitter, and led police and zookeepers on a chase. He was recaptured about two hours later.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tBOSTON \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The Franklin Park Zoo\u2019s beloved western lowland gorilla Little Joe is moving to Pittsburgh as part of the American Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Gorilla Species Survival Plan, the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium said Thursday. <\/p>\n
Last month, the Franklin Park Zoo said Little Joe, 33, would be leaving Boston to begin his own family at another accredited institution, but did not say where he was headed. In return, Pittsburgh’s 7-year-old western lowland gorilla, Frankie, will come to Boston.<\/p>\n
“Both moves were designed to provide a healthy, genetically diverse population of critically endangered gorillas in human care,” Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium posted.<\/p>\n
“This news is bittersweet to share as we will all miss Little Joe, but we are also excited for this opportunity for him to lead his own troop and start a family, which is important for the preservation of the species. Months of careful planning and tremendous thought goes into these recommendations, and this is not something that we enter into lightly,” Zoo New England President and CEO Stephanie Brinley said in April.<\/p>\n
In addition to Frankie, Franklin Park Zoo will also welcome Moke, an 8-year-old from the Smithsonian\u2019s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Franklin Park\u2019s youngest gorilla, Pablo, 5, will join the new additions to form a bachelor group.<\/p>\n