News about toni

News about toni

Tony is our male gorilla and he is unique.
He is 46 and a half years old and has been living in Kyiv for most of his life. This is a very respectable age for gorillas and we watch him get older every year. He has long been on a special diet according to the recommendations of experts from EAZA and Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW)
It is not the first time that Tony has an exacerbation of a complex of chronic diseases due to his respectable age. The practice of EAZA zoos is to maximize the quality of animal’s life. A few years ago, thanks to the support of Hayden Panettiere and V.  Klitschko, the old enclosure for Tony was completely rebuilt in record time. Then, after the beginning of primate house reconstruction according to the recommendations of specialists, we removed Tony to closed enclosure of a larger area. For the past two years, as Tony’s health has deteriorated, our veterinarians have re-adapted the recommendations. This allows maintaining gorilla’s activity and avoiding complications.
Unfortunately old age is always associated with chronic diseases.
Single-living primates are always a challenge for a zoo. After all, some part of individuals always falls out of the social structure. But in captivity a zoo can arrange a comfortable life for them. And we are working in this direction.
Currently, the situation is quite serious and veterinarians are forced to resort to anesthesia again. We understand certain risks, but it is necessary to have a chance to prolong Tony’s life and help.
You just can’t imagine how dear Tony is to us. After all, he is a highly intelligent creature. Tony understands everything. Through training, Tony communicates with the keepers – for example, he knows how to call the keeper and gesture that he wants to eat, or to switch on TV. He knows how to joke and is guided in everything that happens around. Tony misses when one of keepers is sick and happy when he meets acquaintances. All keepers of the Primate Department are women, so they surrounded Tony with real care and love. He gets green twigs in winter, the most delicious fruits and his favorite yogurt, which he knows how to open. Tony receives new toys all the time but we never throw away his old favorite blankets and balls. He is visited every day by the director of the zoo and Tony knows that director came to visit him. Tony loves watching scientists and young naturalists spending time near his enclosure, because contemplation is Tony’s favorite pastime. We are in touch with the curators of the Gorilla Stud Book, because Tony came to us from Europe on a special program. And we follow all the recommendations. And not just because Tony is a endangered species, but because he is a real personality and we love him a lot.
We do our best to make him stay with us as long as possible. Old animals are part of our large family and the history of the zoo. Tony, stay healthy and strong for a long time!
Based on the results of tests and examination, we will adjust the veterinary monitoring and treatment regimen. And we will inform the public. After all, we are for publicity and understand how many people love Tony and care about him.