‘A huge undertaking’: Bristol zoo faces challenge of rehoming 25,000 animals

Jock, the silverback lowland gorilla, will be the focus of his troop’s move to the Wild Place Project. Photograph: Adrian Sherratt/The Guardian

Moving house can strain the strongest of family relationships, and western lowland gorillas are no exception.

At times of uncertainty and stress, Bristol zoo’s troop of eight primates look to their silverback, Jock, for leadership and reassurance. But moving him at the same time as his harem of three females and their children – each weighing between 13.4kg and 184kg – is no straightforward task.