The Louisville Zoo will celebrate Kindi’s 6th birthday on March 14 at 11:30 a.m. in Gorilla Forest. Watch as Kindi receives special birthday enrichment items and treats!

In honor of Kindi’s birthday, we ask that visiting guests bring their old cell phones and handheld devices to donate to Eco-Cell! Just drop your old device in the box on the Zoo’s front plaza as you enter. All proceeds from devices donated to Eco-Cell will be sent to the Gorilla SAFE conservation program. Money raised will help with habitat protection, monitoring, education about gorilla conservation and more!

For information about what devices you can donate, click here.

ABOUT KINDI

Kindi was born via emergency cesarean section on March 14, 2016. Sadly, her mother, Mia Moja, passed away a little after 8 a.m. on Tuesday, March 15 from complications. Gorilla Forest keepers spent the following months caring for Kindi acting as surrogate mothers teaching her what it meant to be a gorilla. Keepers wore furry vests that provided a gorilla feel and something to grip as infant gorilla hang on to their mothers for transport; they also mimicked gorilla movements and vocalizations and bottle fed Kindi. Once Kindi reached certain milestones, she was introduced to her gorilla surrogate Kweli. The two have been together since August of 2016. “Kindi” means squirrel in Swahili which is what keepers used to call her mother Mia Moja.