BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Zoo rolled out the red carpet Friday for the official public debut of its new silverback gorilla, Babatunde.
The 18-year-old gorilla got to the zoo back on Sept. 4, and since then, he has been settling into his new home and meeting other female gorillas, Lily and Sidney. Babatunde made his debut from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday.
"Babatunde has been undergoing a gradual acclimation process behind the scenes, supervised by the zoo's experienced animal care staff," the zoo said Thursday in a statement.
"The integration of Babatunde with the Zoo's female gorillas, Lily and Sidney, is progressing steadily, but it may be some time before the troop is fully integrated and out together full time."
Lisa Smith, president and CEO of the Buffalo Zoo, shared her excitement following Babatunde's public introduction.
"We are so excited to have a new male here that will hopefully bond with our girls and be able to grow our group in the future," Smith said.