Staff at the Lekedi Foundation sanctuary in Gabon are trying to find a social partner for Jojo, an adult male gorilla named Jojo, who has spent most of his existence alone after poachers murdered his family during his infancy.
Captured in the wild before turning one, Jojo was sold to a private zoo where he spent his childhood locked in a small cage away from other gorillas. His life changed in 2015 when, at the age of 11, he walked onto grass for the first time after being moved to the Lekedi Foundation sanctuary in Gabon.
Jojo Faces Decades of Isolation
More than a decade has passed since that transition, but Jojo still lacks a family or companions of his own species. Head caretaker Maxe Anakle Makaba said that the adult male actively seeks human interaction, going as far as collecting leaves to exchange for treats.
In his view, the gorilla feels lonely, and finding a companion requires caution. Certain specialists warn that this procedure might inflict extra pressure on Jojo since he is already fully grown. Caretakers hope to find him a compatible female or male by placing another rescued animal or a zoo-born gorilla with him.
Sanctuary Weighs Relocation Hurdles
Sanctuary caretakers are weighing whether to introduce another rescued animal or a zoo-born gorilla to live alongside Jojo. However, experts warn that introducing a companion could trigger additional stress for the adult gorilla.
To make this happen for Jojo, Forrester has reached out to multiple certified zoos, yet those talks have stalled without showing any advancement.
Pairing him with another creature would proceed with extreme caution, potentially by providing an item carrying the other’s scent before their visual contact. Such gradual and deliberate blending processes are indeed carried out, such as when a person transitions between different zoo colonies. No one knows how Jojo will react to a companion.
Establishing social bonds is critical for the sanctuary’s ultimate vision. Dr Robin Morrison from the University of Zurich studies the social lives of mountain gorillas. She said that the bonds between gorillas are key to their society.
During a recent investigation, she observed that female mountain gorillas tended to locate familiar females upon entering a new assembly, disregarding lengthy periods of separation. She said a big part of a gorilla’s normal social life is “just sitting together quietly sharing space”. But Jojo has never been given the opportunity to sit quietly with another gorilla.
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