Baby Gorilla Abeo finds a new family in Louisville

26.1.2025 – Photos and story by Molly Merrow

It has been quite a journey for tiny little gorilla boy Abeo to find a safe place in which to grow up.

Abeo was born on June 28 in Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle to Akenji and Kwame. Everyone at the zoo had been looking forward to the birth of the little gorilla, but first time mother Akenji failed to bond with her baby. Zoo staff tried several surrogate gorilla mothers there, but they didn’t work out either.

abeo hand

aboe grass

An infant gorilla has the same needs as a human newborn: milk, warmth, cleaning, cuddling, and Abeo was having his early needs met there at the zoo, but baby gorillas quickly grow past that stage, and need a gorilla mom and family to teach them how to be a gorilla.

abeo crawl

abeo alone

So Baby Abeo was matched with a surrogate mom in another zoo, halfway across the country, with the help of the Gorilla Species Survival Plan. He was taken to Louisville in August, and took a short time to adjust to his new surroundings, then was introduced to his new mom, Kweli, who even though separated by by a barrier, showed great interest in the little gorilla. It wasn’t long before Kweli was cradling her new foster son.

abeo eyes

40 year old Kweli at the Louisville Zoo had successfully raised 8 year old Kindi after her mother died shortly after childbirth. If all went well, Abeo would not only have a surrogate mother, but a big sister too.

The gorilla keepers in Louisville’s Gorilla Forest wore special fake fur vests when they were feeding and working with Baby Abeo, so he would learn to cling to the fur as he would to his mother. They borrowed some of these vests from the Cincinnati Zoo, where back in 2013, little Gladys was raised after her mother at a Texas Zoo rejected her. Gladys was raised by zoo staff and volunteers and then transitioned to a surrogate mother, M’Linzi, very successfully. The Louisville Zoo knew Kweli was an experienced foster mother.

One day after Abeo’s nap, the keepers allowed Kweli to sneak in and pick up the baby, just as he was waking up. They have been together ever since. Before long, Kweli’s foster daughter Kindi was helping her mom with the new baby too. And recently the entire gorilla family has access to Kweli and Abeo.

abeo follows mom

abeo follows

I visited Abeo earlier in January, when he was about 6 months old. The keepers give him a bottle four times a day now. Kweli bring the baby over to the screen, and Abeo takes it from there. He has also been introduced to solid food, such as cooked sweet potatoes, carrots and fruit and lately has been trying tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and cucumbers.

abeo lettuce

abeo kweli

Kweli has been keeping Abeo close to her, but as he grows, she gives him some opportunity to climb and to toddle a few feet away. When he climbs too high, she brings the little guy back. Big Sister Kindi is also nearby, and loves her new little brother.

abeo Kweli mom

abeo reach rope

abeo rope swing

abeo rope swing2

There are two groups in rotation at the Louisville Zoo, a bachelor group and Kweli’s group, which includes females Paki (35), Patty (11), Casey the Silverback, and of course 8 year old Kindi.

Kweli was born at Cincinnati Zoo in 1983 and arrived in Louisville in April of 2008.

8 Comments

  1. Oh my, what a sweet little wild boy. I adore him. Of course, Kweli does love him too. I am wishing the little man all happiness.

  2. Liebe Molly,
    Das ist eine herzerwärmende Geschichte und wie es aussieht auch eine erfolgreiche Adoption!
    Danke für die schöne Geschichte und die tollen Fotos.

  3. Dear Molly!
    This little guy is lucky in misfortune and can now hopefully grow up in safety and security, lovingly cared for by his surrogate mum! Anyone who doesn’t fall head over heels in love with this sweet baby has no heart… I’m delighted that Kweli immediately took the little one to her heart and accepted the role of mum for him, but I’m not at all surprised.
    Thank you for this lovely report and for showing us these cute pictures!

    Hugs
    Anke

  4. Dear Molly!

    Thank you so much for this sunshine story! Little Aboe certainly brightened up my day. I wish him lots of health and happiness with his new family.

    Hugs from Mervi

  5. Ja,eine herzerwärmende Geschichte, die in der jetzigen Zeit besonders gut tut!!
    Ich wünsche dem Gorillababy alles Gute für das Leben in seiner Adoptivfamilie!!!💝

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