Prague zoo expects new gorilla offspring in wake of Tatu's death

The gap in the Prague zoo's gorilla group after last week's death of Tatu, a young male, may be filled soon as the experienced gorilla mother Kijivu is pregnant again, the zoo director Miroslav Bobek has told CTK.


Kijivu is the mother of Kiburi, 2, the only young gorilla that lives with the Prague group now after his older sister Moja, 7, was transported to Spain and his brother Tatu died by unlucky coincidence on Friday at the age of five.

"The 19-year-old Kijivu is pregnant again. We expect her to give birth to her offspring at the end of the year," Bobek said.

Tatu, the most agile of the three offspring of Kijivu and male Richard, hanged himself accidentally while playing with ropes and twisting one of them around his neck.

The gorilla group has been very popular with the zoo visitors and fans, who are mourning Tatu's death on websites and social networks.

Tatu is to be stuffed and become a part of the National Museum's collections.

Besides Richard, Kijivu and Kiburi, the Prague group also includes another three females, Kamba, Shinda and Bikira.