Hope for gorilla love at Calgary Zoo grows stronger

The possibility ofsome gorilla love is floating around at the Calgary Zoo this Valentine's Day.

Matchmakers have identified a young male to take the place of Kakinga within the currently all-female western lowland gorilla troop.

Kakingadied at age 37 last May, and the zoo has been searching for a new silverback ever since.

• Calgary Zoo 'gentle giant' gorilla Kakinga dies

Zoo curator Malu Celli said they arestill in the early stages of the permitting and paperwork processes andwould not reveal where the new silverback iscoming from.

"We don't expect him here for awhile. But we're very, very excited to at least have a male identified to be able to be introduced to our five lovely females," she said.

Zoo staff have been working to keep social tensions low within the troop, says Celli, asit's unnatural for there not to be a male within it.