KINDI'S
FIRST
YEAR!
K
indi has had
Kindi at a
many adventures since
week old.
we welcomed her on
March 14, 2016. In honor of
her turning one year old, we’re
taking you through some of the
most important milestones of
her journey so far.
In the beginning of her journey,
Gorilla Forest keepers diligently
time, Kindi also learned how
hand-raised Kindi after the passing
to take a bottle through
of her mother Mia Moja following
Kindi is bottle-fed
mesh, and then how to
an emergency cesarean section.
by Assistant Curator Jill
crawl to the mesh to
These keepers acted as Kindi’s hu-
Katka. In her fi rst several
receive her bottles.
man surrogates, teaching her how
months, Kindi was under
It wasn’t long before
to become a gorilla until she was
24-hour care by Gorilla
Kindi
got acquainted
ready for introduction to a possible
of Gorilla Forest.
staff .
with the different foods,
gorilla surrogate.
By August 1, 2016,
smells and textures of
Kindi was fi rst trained how to
Kindi had met all the
Gorilla Forest, like the feel
hold onto her gorilla surrogate.
milestones necessary to
of hay or the smell of grass. She
Gorilla staff wore a furry smock
enable the surrogate introductory
also spent lots of time during the
and moved as a gorilla would to
process to begin. Kweli was given
day interacting with other gorillas
encourage Kindi to grip onto them
the opportunity to surrogate Kindi
through a mesh panel in her room.
in the same way she would grip
and immediately stepped up to the
Finally, keepers mentored Kindi on
onto a gorilla mom. At that
task. Keepers were
how to navigate the transfer chutes
Mother
Mia Moja
4 • Louisville Zoo Trunkline • Spring 2017
Kindi learns about
the diff erent areas of
Gorilla Forest.