Bella is the tallest female at Zoo Knoxville. She is also a soon-to-be 11-year-old Western lowland gorilla who came to us last spring from Lincoln Park Zoo as part of a Species Survival Plan breeding recommendation to be paired with our silverback, Bantu.
Western Lowland Gorillas are listed as Critically Endangered with fewer than 150,000 remaining in central and western Africa. Great apes as a whole have their numbers in the wild dropping drastically due to habitat loss, the pet trade, deforestation, mining for minerals like coltan (often used in cell phones), poaching, and much more.
Currently, there are roughly 400 gorillas in AZA zoos in the United States. It is important to have genetic diversity in any population of animals in human care. Bella’s offspring will help increase biodiversity for a declining population and ensure that generations from now will have the opportunity to see a gorilla up close.
Over the course of 6 months, Bella was introduced slowly to the silverback – Bantu (male) and four females – Hope, Obi, Kumi, and Andi. Gorillas are social animals that live primarily in a troop dynamic. It is important that female gorillas are around other females and their offspring to learn from their maternal behaviors and, in return, take care of their own offspring someday.
Bella remained on oral contraceptives throughout the integration process until she was acclimated to her new troop, the new environment, and the new keeper staff.
Then, in late November 2025, Bella was taken off birth control in hopes of becoming pregnant. The silverback Bantu has been observed breeding with Bella and frequently makes breeding rumbles at her.
At the start of 2026, Bella began her maternal training with her primary keeper, Laurel. The start of this training consists of voluntary urine collection for pregnancy testing so that HCG levels can be monitored. Also, training in voluntary abdominal ultrasounds to monitor a fetus throughout a pregnancy. Bella is fantastic at training and has a great relationship with her primary trainer, ensuring these behaviors can be maintained throughout a pregnancy. Other maternal behaviors that can be trained are baby retrieval and presentation with a stuffed gorilla, and holding various medical instruments to a stuffed gorilla for desensitization.
While Bella will hopefully be a wonderful mother, this will be her first offspring. The additional training she receives from her primary trainer, Laurel, will increase the likelihood that she will present those maternal behaviors. Once she gives birth, staff want to take a hands-off approach to give the mother and newborn time to bond, so Bella can raise her offspring without staff assistance.
The role of the silverback is to be a leader for the troop, provide protection to the family members, and reproduce. While being carried around by their mother, infants don’t often interact with the silverback until they are more mobile. At Zoo Knoxville, Bantu has been a fantastic father to his previous four offspring. Bantu is often eager to engage in wrestling and chase sessions when his offspring are old enough and the mothers allow it.
Don’t miss visiting Bella and Bantu, and their new offspring to come.
Zoo Knoxville’s mission is to deliver dynamic guest experiences while inspiring action to save wildlife and wild places. For more information on Zoo Knoxville’s commitment to wildlife conservation, events, membership, and planning your visit, go here.
Located at 3500 Knoxville Zoo Dr.,37914, Zoo Knoxville is open every day 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Follow Zoo Knoxville on Facebook, Instagram, X.
Follow KnoxTNToday on Facebook and Instagram. Get all KnoxTNToday articles in one place with our Free Newsletter.
