Zoo Atlanta celebrates new father Willie B., Jr. on Father’s Day

ATLANTA — Staff at Zoo Atlanta celebrated Father’s Day on Sunday with special treats for new father Willie B., Jr.

Willie B., Jr., son of Zoo Atlanta’s famous gorilla Willie B., became a father just a couple of months ago with the birth of his infant, Willie B., III.

Willie B., Jr. is the only male offspring of his late father, Willie B.

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Willie B., Jr. is a very large silverback Western Lowland Gorilla born in 1998.

His son, Willie B., III, was born to Shalia on April 24, 2023.

Willie B. arrived in Atlanta in 1961 as a youngster around the age of 2.

He was named in honor of then-mayor William B. Hartsfield.

Willie B. spent his first 27 years at Zoo Atlanta in an indoor enclosure.

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“He was really the inspiration for change for much of what Zoo Atlanta is today,” Zoo Atlanta’s Senior Keeper of Primates, Josh Meyerchick, said. “He really is the embodiment of an animal ambassador for us here at Zoo Atlanta.”

Willie B., Jr. enjoyed a burlap sack containing substrate and food items such as seeds or fruit mixed within.

Zoo Atlanta officials call the process of concealing food items like this “enrichment,” which is an important part of their day-to-day care.

Wild gorillas would spend about half of their day foraging for food.

“So we want to emulate that here as much as possible and putting in food items in places where they have to forage or look for the food helps increase that feeding time,” Meyerchick said.

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