Kiburi Arrived



Kiburi arrives as part of an international breeding programme, so keepers hope he might get his new housemates under the mistletoe over the festive season.

Getting in nice and early before the Christmas delivery pile-up, London Zoo had Kiburi shipped over by DHL.

After a 1,903-mile door-to-door journey in a large custom-built crate - which included an onboard meal of leafy greens, leeks, a banana, and cold fruit tea - the 18-year-old stayed overnight at Heathrow before heading to the zoo.

The enviously photogenic ape, weighing 193kg and measuring 5ft 4in, was welcomed into the Gorilla Kingdom exhibit after his medical check-ups and will soon be introduced to his housemates.

Among them are females Mjukuu and Effie, and youngsters Alika and Gernot.

Kiburi has arrived as part of an international breeding programme, so keepers are hoping that he might get Effie or Mjukuu under the mistletoe over the festive season.

Gorilla keeper Glynn Hennessy said: "Like any blended family, when getting to know each other it's important to take thing slowly, so we'll be keeping a close eye on the troop and introducing them to each other face-to-face at a pace that they're comfortable with."

It sounds like Kiburi has been living his London life to the fullest so far - he's already tested out his new rope swings and enjoyed some tasty meals, including a breakfast of juicy red peppers.

And while he's partial to a lie-in in the mornings, there's yet no sign of him going on strike.

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