COLUMBIA, S.C. — It’s a tale as old as time. Babies are born, grow up, and eventually move on somewhere new. Such is the case for two gorilla brothers, Moyo and ZaKota, at Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo & Garden.
The two were born in Columbia in 2018 and will be relocated to the Dallas Zoo in March as part of a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) Breeding and Transfer Plan. The program coordinates animal placements among accredited institutions to support healthy, genetically diverse, and sustainable populations.
Moyo and ZaKota were born to first-time mothers Kazi and Macy, and were the first successful gorilla births in Riverbanks’ history. Their move is the result of more than eight years of hands-on work by animal care and veterinary staff, who have supported them every step of the way, from birth to this next chapter. Their relocation will now allow them to play a role in the broader western lowland gorilla population…