Community Corner

Pittsburgh Zoo Acquires 33-Year-Old Little Joe In Gorilla Trade With Boston's Franklin Park Zoo

Pittsburgh and Boston are making a trade. But instead of negotiating with athletes, they're swapping gorillas.

Patch, editorial, Jenna Fisher, boston ma, boston massachusetts, MA, zoo, sign, signgage, Traffic & Transit, zoo signage, animals, creatures
Patch, editorial, Jenna Fisher, boston ma, boston massachusetts, MA, zoo, sign, signgage, Traffic & Transit, zoo signage, animals, creatures (Jenna Fisher/Patch)

Updated on: May 15, 2026

Pittsburgh and Boston are making a trade. But instead of negotiating with athletes, they're swapping gorillas.

Find out what's happening in Bostonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The Pittsburgh Zoo announced on Thursday that it's saying goodbye to Frankie, a 7-year-old male western lowland gorilla who was born to mom Moka in 2018, and welcoming 33-year-old silverback Little Joe from Boston's Franklin Park Zoo.

The Pittsburgh Zoo says the move is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' gorilla species survival plan, which ensures that critically endangered gorillas in human care maintain a healthy and genetically diverse population.

Find out what's happening in Bostonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Little Joe is coming to Pittsburgh in a trade with Boston's Franklin Park Zoo/(Photo: Courtesy of Zoo New England for CBS News Boston

Click here for the full story via CBS Boston


CBS Local Digital Media personalizes the global reach of CBS-owned and operated television and radio stations with a local perspective.