M'Tonge

M’Tonge was born on 23 February 1999 at Apenheul Primate Park in the Netherlands. He was a captive‑born western lowland gorilla, the son of Tsimi and Bongo, both long‑time members of the Apenheul group.

At six years old he was moved to Gaia Zoo on 22 March 2005, where he spent three years in a mixed‑sex troop. He returned to his birthplace on 1 April 2008 and stayed at Apenheul for only five months before being transferred to Warsaw Zoo on 3 September 2008.

Warsaw Zoo became his home for the next six years. He integrated smoothly with the resident group and was a regular attraction for visitors. His stay there ended on 19 August 2014 when he was sent to Zoo Basel.

While at Basel, a tapeworm infection proved fatal. He died later that year, at roughly fifteen years of age, leaving a record of successful transfers across three European zoos.