Baby gorilla Abeo finds new foster mom in 40-year-old Kweli

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE/Gray News) - Louisville Zoo visitors can now see baby Abeo on exhibit after he made his debut at the Louisville Zoo’s Gorilla Forest.

Abeo is a 1-and-a-half-month-old Western Lowland gorilla born on June 28 at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington.

He was born to first-time mom Akenji, who was not able to bond with her newborn.

After a failed foster arrangement, the Gorilla Species Survival Plan was able to secure a new home for Abeo at the Louisville Zoo.

Abeo is now being fostered by the Kweli, a 40-year-old female gorilla.

Abeo and Foster Mom Kweli Now on Exhibit at Louisville Zoo’s Award-Winning Gorilla Forest(Louisville Zoo)

Kweli was selected because of her successful experience fostering Kindi, the zoo’s now-8-year-old female gorilla, who was orphaned shortly after birth.

“Kweli has been an exemplary foster mom, first with Kindi and now with Abeo,” said Louisville Zoo Director Dan Maloney. “We are incredibly proud of Kweli’s care and her attentiveness. Like our visitors, we are looking forward to watching Abeo grow and thrive with the family troop at Gorilla Forest.”

“All of us at Woodland Park Zoo are celebrating that baby Abeo is now in the arms of gorilla Kweli. This is how it should be for a baby gorilla — being in the direct care of a gorilla and being socialized with a family of gorillas,” said Martin Ramirez, Interim Senior Director of Animal Care at Woodland Park Zoo. “Our zoo family is so grateful to Louisville Zoo and their dedicated gorilla experts. All the way from the Pacific Northwest, our zoo family and community will continue to enjoy watching Abeo grow to be a confident and secure gorilla.”

The Gorilla Forest team has provided round-the-clock care for Abeo for over a month now, including feeding socialization. Over the coming weeks, Abeo and Kweli will be integrated with the rest of the gorilla troop that will rotate on exhibit.

For updates on Abeo’s progress, click here.