A new gorilla is taking over the family troop at San Diego Zoo Safari Park months after the unexpected death of Paul Donn, who had been the troop’s leader, while a younger male has joined a bachelor group at the San Diego Zoo.
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The double dose of great ape news came after officials at several zoos who manage the captive population of the critically endangered species approved the transfers.
The newcomer at Safari Park is 33-year-old Matumaini, who came from the Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas on Aug. 20. After a short quarantine and period of introduction, the gorilla has settled into his new home with the troop’s five female members.
To slowly introduce the new leader to the group — Imani, Jessica, Kamilah, Leslie and Joanne — wildlife care staff put the animals close enough so the females could hear the silverback making noises like pounding his chest. They also exchanged bedding and other materials so the animals could smell each other.
Silverbacks are dominant males who serve as leaders, tasked with making important decisions to ensure the safety of the troop.
“Our whole process is designed to mimic the steps that would happen in the wild,” said Greg Vicino, vice president of wildlife care at the San Diego Zoo. “We want them to have their full social skill set without the interference of humans so they can communicate gorilla style.”
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, which operates Safari Park and the San Diego Zoo, also recently acquired another gorilla for its collection, a 6-year-old male who has joined a bachelor group at the San Diego Zoo.
That gorilla is named Kitoko, which means handsome or beautiful in the African languages of Lingala and Kikongo. He arrived in San Diego from the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle on Sept. 2 and has been getting to know Denny and Eukba.
“He’s super cute, but he’s also funny,” Vicino said. “He is still goofy. And I like that about him. But he’s also incredibly smart … He’s responded very well to the signals he is getting from the other guys.”
Zoo officials say Kitoko is an adventurous, energetic and playful gorilla who has reached the stage of life during which, in the wild, he would naturally leave his family to join up with other young adult males.
The social structure is very different from a family troop. “You don’t have competition for females,” Vicino said. “It is very dynamic, and it changes as they get older.”
Vicino said the logistics of moving gorillas can be complicated, with a number of factors being weighed, including weather conditions. No one wants to transport an animal when it is too hot or too cold, he said.
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Because western lowland gorillas are critically endangered, many people are consulted before transfers are approved, including zoo officials who manage the captive population to ensure genetic diversity. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Gorilla Species Survival Plan manages more than 330 apes in U.S. zoos.
Officials have described the matchmaking involved in placing a silverback at a new zoo as a painstaking process that looks not only at the social needs of the group but also the personality and genetic makeup of individual apes.
In the wild, the replacement of a silverback tends to happen more quickly. “One day he’s there, and the next day there’s another guy,” Vicino said.
The previous silverback at Safari Park, Paul Donn, died May 15 after unexpectedly falling ill. His death came after park care staff noticed his appetite had decreased. Born at the Safari Park, Paul Donn had lived more than two decades at the San Diego Zoo before returning to the Safari Park in August 2025.
Tests showed he died from an acute bacterial infection “that came on real quickly,” Vicino said.
It was the second loss of a silverback at the Safari Park since July 2024, when veterinarians euthanized a beloved troop leader named Winston at the age of 52.
Winston, who was popular with guests and staff alike, had suffered from heart problems, kidney disease and other ailments. Zoo officials had described Winston as a gentle leader, unique in how he tolerated living with males who weren’t his offspring.
The new silverback has been described as sweet, caring and curious by his wildlife care team.
Safari Park staffers say he is developing a positive rapport with the care specialists and is settling in well.
“The female gorillas are engaging with him in new ways as well, and it’s showing intricacies in their personalities that the wildlife care teams are interested in seeing develop,” alliance spokesperson Mary Hamula said in an email.
Matumaini has sired offspring previously, and the plan is for him to breed at Safari Park at some point. It is not clear when baby gorillas might be arriving, however, or who will be the mother.
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