Gorilla Identification Guide

Habitats listed are where you are most likely to see each group. The Gorilla Care Team may rotate groups through different habitats on a temporary or long-term basis. Only long-term changes will be reflected here.

*Photos courtesy of Karin Keller (Volunteer) and Jodi Carrigan (Curator of Primates).

tHE bACHELORS (Habitat 1)

Charlie

Pronounced: CHAR-lee

Sex: Male

DOB: 6/7/1996

Place of birth: Zoo Atlanta

Parents: Banga & Ozzie

Charlie is the largest gorilla at the Zoo and has a cone-shaped head with bump-like appearances around his nose.

You can often find Charlie lounging in the shade near the wall on the far right (looking from the public side) end of Habitat 1.

Kekla

Pronounced: KECK-luh

Sex: Male

DOB: 3/15/1989

Place of birth: Zoo Atlanta

Parents: Paki & Ozzie

Kekla has a round face and striking amber eyes. The hair on his forearms is very fluffy.

Kekla spends much of his time in the back of Habitat 1.

Stadi

Pronounced: STAH-dee

Sex: Male

DOB: 5/14/1991

Place of birth: Zoo Atlanta

Parents: Kuchi & Ozzie

Stadi has a heart-shaped face and looks a lot like the late Ozzie. He has cowlicks on his shoulders that look like shoulder pads. His sagittal crest is not as prominent as Kekla's or Charlie's.

Kuchi & MACHI (Habitat 2)

Kuchi

Pronounced: KOO-chee

Sex: Female

DOB: 10/10/1984

Place of birth: Yerkes National Primate Research Center (now the Emory NPRC)

Kuchi's bottom lip often sticks out and the pink interior is usually visible.

Machi

Pronounced: MAH-kee

Sex: Female

DOB: 3/1/1976

Place of birth: Yerkes National Primate Research Center (now the Emory NPRC)

Machi has fluffy hair around her face. You can usually find her eating leaves and nesting in the front of the habitat.

Taz's Family Group (Habitat 3)

Anaka

Pronounced: uh-NAH-kuh

Sex: Female

DOB: 8/30/2013

Place of birth: Zoo Atlanta

Parents: Sukari & Taz

Anaka is known for the pink pigmentation on her fingers (3 on her left hand and 2 on her right hand). She is similar in size to Andi but is wider. She has lighter brown hair on the top of her head and fluffy grey sideburns.

Andi

Pronounced: AN-dee

Sex: Female

DOB: 3/14/2013

Place of birth: Zoo Atlanta

Parents: Lulu & Taz

Andi is similar in size to Anaka but has a rounder top of her head. She has smoother and sleeked back hair on the sides. She is smaller and slimmer than the other girls with a dark coat.

Floyd

Pronounced: FLOYD

Sex: Male

DOB: 7/24/2019

Place of birth: Zoo Atlanta

Parents: Lulu & Taz

Floyd is the youngest and currently smallest member of Taz's family group. He is the only other male besides Taz. As he gets older, he may grow larger than his older sisters.

Kudzoo

Pronounced: KUD-zoo

Sex: Female

DOB: 2/8/1994

Place of birth: Zoo Atlanta

Parents: Choomba & Willie B.

Kudzoo looks like her mom, the late Choomba. She is the largest of the adult females. She has a round face with a hexagon-shaped nose pad and a "fuzzy" head.

Lulu

Pronounced: LOO-loo

Sex: Female

DOB: 8/22/1999

Place of birth: Zoo Atlanta

Parents: Kuchi & Willie B.

Lulu has ruffled hair on her back that goes in different directions, giving her a disheveled look. Her nose pad is heart-shaped and she has a prominent crease in between the top of her head and her crest.

Merry Leigh - "Merry"

Pronounced: MARE-ee LEE

Sex: Female

DOB: 5/9/2011

Place of birth: Zoo Atlanta

Parents: Kudzoo & Taz

Merry Leigh can de difficult to identify as she is almost as big as the adult females. The creases above her nose look like a seesaw or a balanced scale, with a dot centered under a horizontal line.

Mijadala - "Mija"

Pronounced: MEE-juh-DOLL-uh

Sex: Female

DOB: 9/18/2016

Place of birth: Zoo Atlanta

Parents: Kudzoo & Taz

Mijadala is the second-smallest member of the family group (after Floyd).

Sukari

Pronounced: sue-CAR-ee

Sex: Female

DOB: 5/12/1998

Place of birth: Zoo Atlanta

Parents: Choomba & Willie B.

Sukari looks like her sister, Kudzoo, but with darker eyes and a visible patch of pink skin inside her lower lip. The creases immediately above her nostrils make a Y-shape.

Taz

Pronounced: TAZZ

Sex: Male

DOB: 7/20/1989

Place of birth: Zoo Atlanta

Parents: Shamba & Rann

Taz is easily recognized as the only silverback in his family group.

wILLIE b., jR.'S fAMILY gROUP (Habitat 4)

Amari

Pronounced: uh-MAR-ee

Sex: Female

DOB: 10/8/2010

Place of birth: Buffalo Zoo

Amari is the smallest adult member of her group, with thinning or missing hair on her arms. She has gray sideburns and long fingers.

Kambera Dupe - "Kam"

Pronounced: kam-BARE-uh

Sex: Female

DOB: 2/19/1999

Place of birth: Columbus Zoo

Of the females in her group, Kambera has the darkest (black) fur and a flatter, more square face.

Shalia

Pronounced: shuh-LAY-uh

Sex: Female

DOB: 9/9/2002

Place of birth: Toronto Zoo

Shalia has a large belly and reddish hair on top of her head.

Willie B., Jr.

Pronounced: WILL-ee BEE

Sex: Male

DOB: 4/8/1998

Place of birth: Zoo Atlanta

Willie B., Jr. looks much like his father, the late Willie B. He has a prominent saggital crest and is easily recognized as the only silverback in his family group.