Farewell for now …

We have a bittersweet announcement to share: our surrogacy journey has ended after unsuccessful attempts to introduce Jameela to Winifred (Fred). While we hoped for a different outcome – one that includes Jameela fully integrated into our troop – our main goal has always been that Jameela is raised by gorillas. In conjunction with our reintroduction efforts, we have been in communication with our national partners for several weeks, searching for an institution that can not only meet her needs, but has a female gorilla with proven surrogate experience. We have determined that her next best step is a move to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo where they will make every effort to successfully integrate Jameela into their troop.

We are understandably heartbroken, Jameela has left an indelible mark on all of us here at the Zoo and in the Fort Worth community.

We have been in close contact with the team at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and are hopeful that our ultimate goal will be met. We anticipate her departure to be early next week. Together with Cleveland, we will keep you all posted on Jameela’s next chapter.

She will always be a part of the Fort Worth Zoo and, once she is grown and her father is not the silverback, we hope to see her back in Fort Worth one day.