Moja was born on December 13, 2004 to female Kijiva and male Richard. It was the first offspring for both of them and at the same time Moja was the first gorilla born in Czech or Slovak zoos. Photo by Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo
The famous female gorilla Moja celebrated her 20th birthday a little early tomorrow in Spain. Representatives of the Prague Zoo together with representatives of the Cabárceno Zoo presented her with a special gift – a puzzle filled with treats. The story of the first-born Czech gorilla will also be told by a photo exhibition, the opening will take place in Prague’s Dja Reserve on Saturday from 11 a.m.
“Moja has long since become a legend,” says the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek. “She is the first gorilla born in the Prague Zoo, who gained immense popularity among the public and became the protagonist of the extremely successful ‘slightly different reality show’ Odhalení. Even though she has lived in Cabárcen for many years, people have not forgotten her. We are therefore very happy that Moja’s story continues in our zoo through her daughter Duni and from this year also her granddaughter Mobi. And for me personally, it is very important that Moja i.e. through Gorilla Tales, which have been distributed in tens of thousands of copies to children in Central Africa, it helps protect gorillas living in the wild.”
Moja with the puzzle brought to Spain by the Prague Zoo team. Photo by Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo
Moja received complex enrichment with rotating wooden plates from the Prague Zoo team. They hid fruits and nuts spread over several levels.
“In November 2011, we took a seven-year-old adolescent girl here to Spain. We now follow an adult gorilla who has raised his daughter Duni and passed on many of his truly exceptional qualities and skills to her. Only because of this, Duni is now skilled and savvy in raising Moja’s granddaughter Mobi in Prague,” says Martin Vojáček, chief primate keeper of the Prague Zoo.
Rotating wooden boards hid dried fruits and nuts. Moja coped with the enrichment without any problems and easily reached the treats. Photo by Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo
The words of her current keeper in Cabárcen testify to Moji’s extraordinary character and, above all, her intelligence: “She is a very bright and perceptive gorilla, she is certainly the smartest of the group. I usually say that she is smarter than me because she is able to find tools in things that she uses to get what she wants, regardless of the other gorillas,” says Lucía Gandarillas Chicote, who takes care of the lowland gorillas in a natural park near Santander and other primates.
Moja lives in the exhibit and extensive paddock there, along with females Chelewa and Gwet, Chelewa’s six-year-old son Kibwe and male silverback Nicky. She is also accompanied by a group of Brazz cats. Currently, Moja does not have permission to conceive again from the coordinator of the European Breeding Program (EEP), because she is already genetically significantly represented in European breeding.
A group of congratulators at the lowland gorilla exhibit in the Cabárceno Zoo together with a photobook about Duni’s life in Prague, which representatives of the Prague Zoo handed over to their Spanish colleagues. From left: Inés Mier Maza, CEO of CANTUR, which also includes the zoo in Cabárceno, Míchel Valdés Ruiz, director of the aforementioned zoo Parque de La Naturaleza de Cabárceno, Miroslav Bobek, director of the Prague Zoo in the middle, then chief zoologist there Beatriz Gallego Aldama and chief Prague Zoo primate keeper Martin Vojáček. Photo by David Broda, Prague Zoo