Monkey business! Incredible moment 21-year-old silverback gorilla named Bakari gets check up at Disney's Animal Kingdom

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 17:34 EDT, 22 September 2026 | Updated: 19:29 EDT, 22 September 2026 One year after Disney World lost its oldest gorilla, the theme park has welcomed its newest member to take over the role as the leader of the family troop.The theme park announced the arrival of Bakari, a 21-year-old male western lowland gorilla, earlier this year following the death of Gino, the park’s oldest gorilla.Gino, who lived at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park in Florida, near Orlando, since its Animal Kingdom opening in 1998, passed away at age 44 in September last year.Bakari officially made his debut in the park on June 30, and guests have been able to watch him settle into his new home.He recently underwent his first routine medical checkup since his arrival, where he received a dental examination, skull X-rays and a CT scan. As the dominant silverback in the troop, Bakari will play 'an important role in guiding and protecting the family, helping maintain a stable and cohesive dynamic'.Gorilla troops are oriented around a family structure that typically includes one dominant male and multiple females with their offspring. 'Bringing Bakari here is bittersweet because it means we've said goodbye to Gino, who was our silverback for almost 30 years since the park's opening,' said Rachel, animal care manager with Disney's Animals, Science and Environment. Bakari, a 21-year-old male western lowland gorilla, officially made his debut in the park on June 30, and guests have been able to watch him settle into his new home He recently underwent his first routine medical checkup since his arrival at Disney's Animal Kingdom Bakari received a dental examination, skull X-rays and a CT scan as part of his medical checkup'But it's also incredibly exciting. Bakari is the future of this family troop, and we're looking forward to watching him grow into that role and hopefully help welcome new generations of gorillas for years to come.' According to the gorilla care team at Disney, new gorillas are first introduced to their troops through a protected viewing area so their interaction can be monitored.Introductions are then slowly initiated, eventually progressing into opportunities for touch and closer social interactions.Bakari is now living with the whole troop at Animal Kingdom's Gorilla Falls in the park's Africa Pavilion 'This is all very new for Bakari,' Rachel said. 'Our goal is to help him feel comfortable and confident at every stage. 'We take the process slowly because building those social relationships with the females is incredibly important.'The work is part of Disney's ongoing commitment to exceptional animal care and is supported by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), which helps maintain strong, genetically diverse populations of western lowland gorillas in managed care.'Pairing Bakari with our females can help strengthen the long-term future of the population,' Rachel said. 'That's important because we want future generations to be able to connect with these animals and be inspired to help protect them.'