Jojo the gorilla has spent his life alone. Can he finally find a companion?
Jojo, a gorilla rescued from a private zoo in Gabon, has lived in total isolation since infancy after his family was killed by poachers. Researchers and keepers are now working to find him a companion to help him recover from the psychological trauma of his upbringing.
Why it matters
The case provides critical insights into great ape psychology and the long-term effects of trauma on social animals.
Jojo the gorilla has spent his life alone. Can he finally find a companion?
By Victoria Gill Science correspondent In 2015, a young male gorilla named Jojo took his first tentative steps onto grass.
Until that moment, the 11-year-old ape had spent almost his entire life in a tiny cage at a private zoo in Gabon, after being taken from the wild as an infant. His family had been killed by the poachers who took him.
More than a decade later, Jojo is settled into a sanctuary – but he still lives alone. He hasn't had a family since he was taken, or indeed any gorilla friends.
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