(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Zoo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium announced it will exchange gorillas with Franklin Park Zoo as part of a conservation breeding program.

Seven-year-old western lowland gorilla Frankie will move to Boston, while 33-year-old silverback Little Joe will come to Pittsburgh.

The exchange is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Gorilla Species Survival Plan, which aims to maintain a healthy and genetically diverse population of critically endangered gorillas in human care.

Zoo officials said Little Joe has been a longtime favorite at Franklin Park Zoo. Keepers describe him as “curious, intelligent and gentle,” noting he gets along well with other gorillas and young offspring. He is also known for quickly solving puzzle feeders to retrieve food.

Little Joe will become the silverback of the Pittsburgh Zoo’s gorilla family group, which currently includes females Moka, 29, and Ibo, 35, along with infants Charlotte, 3, and Bo, 2.

A typical gorilla troop consists of one mature male, several females, and their offspring.

Once Little Joe becomes acclimated to his new family, zoo visitors will be able to see the full troop together in the Tropical Forest Complex habitat.

Meanwhile, Frankie will join a newly formed bachelor group at Franklin Park Zoo alongside two other male gorillas close to his age and size.

Frankie was born at the Pittsburgh Zoo in 2018 to Moka. Keepers describe him as having “good vibes — playful and chill.”