Gorillas undergo exams before saying goodbye to Zoo Miami
MIAMI, Fla. (WFLA) — Two silverback gorilla siblings underwent a series of health exams Friday as they prepare to leave Zoo Miami later this month.
Barney, a 31-year-old gorilla weighing 415 pounds, and his older brother, Shango, 36, who weighs 448 pounds, received full health examinations that, in addition to a general physical, included blood collection, a dental cleaning, tuberculosis testing, a cardiac ultrasound exam, vaccines for rabies and tetanus, and more.
The procedures determined that both gorillas are in good health and cleared them to travel to their new home, the James and Elizabeth Bramsen Tropical Forest at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.
There, they will represent the zoo's first-ever bachelor troop, a term used for young males who have left their family troop or adult males who have yet to form one.
Western lowland gorillas are a critically endangered species facing threats such as habitat loss, poaching, and disease.
The brothers, Barney and Shango, came to Zoo Miami in May 2017 as part of an exhibit loan from the Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas.
Their departure at the end of May will allow for renovations to the great ape habitat at Zoo Miami to comply with updated Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) regulations.
Their leaving marks the first time in 40 years that gorillas will be absent from Zoo Miami, and they are expected to remain absent for the foreseeable future.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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