Welcome, ‘Kouma’

Exciting news from the African Rainforest Building. We’re thrilled to welcome our newest arrival, ‘Kouma’, a five-year-old male mandrill who arrived this week from Zoo de Granby!

Here’s a fun fact: Kouma is related to our resident female mandrill, ‘Layla’! That’s right, Layla’s brother ‘Tumbili’ is Kouma’s sire (dad), making Layla his aunt. Mandrills are known for their social nature, so Layla and Kouma have been thoughtfully paired for companionship rather than breeding, placing paramount importance on their overall well-being.

Currently, Kouma is undergoing his quarantine here on zoo grounds. He’s busy familiarizing himself with his habitat’s back-of-house spaces and has not yet made his public debut. To help reduce stress for both individuals, we’re gradually introducing Kouma to Layla, starting with plexiglass viewing sessions and progressing to mesh-to-mesh interactions!

As Kouma settles into his new surroundings, our Animal Care, Health & Welfare team may grant him access to the outdoor mandrill habitat, while Layla rotates to their back-of-house or indoor space. Join us in welcoming Kouma in the comments!

Photo credit: Keith Bartlett, Zoo de Granby