The new adventures of Indigo

The new adventures of Indigo

As a gorilla grows up, they eventually reach an age when they are ready to leave their family troop and seek new adventures. This was our young gorilla lndigo’s year to make the big move from Jersey Zoo. His destination? Pairi Daiza zoo in Belgium. Here he would move in with his uncle Lomako, brother of our silverback Badongo, and another young gorilla called Tebogo, who was moving from Dublin Zoo.

In preparation for Indigo’s big trip, our veterinary team first needed to give him a full check-up to make sure he was in perfect health. Taking a gorilla to the vet is not an everyday occurrence, but they can be trained to make this process really easy. Each morning the keepers would spend 20-30 minutes practising different training exercises to prepare him. This meant that when the day arrived, Indigo was more than happy to present his shoulder to his keepers to receive an injection of anaesthetic. Once Indigo had fallen asleep, he was taken to the vet centre to have his check-up. They reported that Indigo was in excellent condition, so his move was arranged for the 23rd March.

It was a long journey to the zoo in Belgium. Indigo travelled on the ferry to France and was then driven in the van to Pairi Diaza. He was very calm and quiet throughout the journey. Chris, Indigo’s keeper from Jersey Zoo, was already waiting at the destination so that a familiar face was there to help him settle in. As soon as Indigo was let into his new home, he came to see Chris and took his usual breakfast before checking out his new bedroom. The other young gorilla, Tebogo, had already been there for a couple of days. The Pairi Daiza keepers were very excited to meet Indigo and had his favourite food of mango and grapes ready for him.

Later on that day, Indigo and Tebogo were introduced to each other. Although Indigo was still a little nervous, they soon began playing, wrestling and chasing each other. It wasn’t long before they became good friends.

When the time came for Chris to say his goodbyes, Indigo was much more interested in playing with his new friend and didn’t even notice. Although this can be hard for the keepers, Chris was happy knowing that Indigo would be well looked after and would spend his days playing and having fun.

Since Indigo moved, the keepers from Pairi Daiza have sent lots of updates on how Indigo, Tebogo and Lomako are getting on. Now they are all living together happily and even share their home with a group of colobus monkeys.