KIDS & FAMILIES

Visit Franklin Park Zoo on April 29 to learn more about apes, their behaviors, habitats, and the threats they face in the wild. This is the perfect opportunity to learn about our own western lowland gorilla family, ask questions, and educate yourself on all of the fascinating ape species!

Schedule of Events:
11:00 AM: Meet Dr. Zarin Machanda who will hold a discussion and Q&A session on primates in the Tropical Forest classroom.

11:45 AM: Meet the zookeepers who care for the western lowland gorillas and have the opportunity to ask them questions.

12:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Observe local artist Jen Bradley as she draws the gorillas.

2:00 PM: Meet the zookeepers who care for the western lowland gorillas and have the opportunity to ask them questions.


Dr. Zarin Machanda received her PhD from the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. Her research revolves around understanding the factors that shape the quality and development of social relationships among primates, specifically chimpanzees. Dr. Machanda has spent nearly three years living and conducting research in western Uganda.

Jen Bradley is a local artist who began visiting Franklin Park Zoo in 1994 to draw inspiration from the gorilla exhibit. For nearly 20 years, Bradley has continued to draw the Zoo’s gorillas in an ongoing series she likes to call The Ape Drawing Project. Jen takes her Zoo drawings into the studio and uses them as direct inspiration for making her paintings.