CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden has welcomed three new bachelor gorillas to its crew: Chipua (Chip), Pendeka (Pende) and Kongo. 

The three came from the Detroit Zoo earlier this month. The move was a part of the Species Survival Plan's goals gorilla population, the zoo said, which aims to maintain and grow the number of gorillas in the world. The zoo said Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered, with fewer than 175,000 of them in the wild.

“We are excited to house this bachelor troop, as it is the first time the Cincinnati Zoo has housed this type of troop structure in its long history of caring for gorillas!” said Victoria McGee, Zoological Manager of Primates. “We look forward to sharing this experience with our Zoo members and guests.”

The zoo said bachelor troops — like the three new gorillas — serve an important purpose. The troops tend to be more aggressive, which could be shown through vocal conflict or a physical altercation. Officials said those actions can help maintain hierarchy, "teaching all the gorillas in the troop how to appropriately interact with each other and navigate their dynamic social structure."

The Cincinnati Zoo said there are around 765 gorillas in zoos across the world, and the Gorilla SSP manages around 360. The zoo helps support gorilla conservation efforts, such as the Nouabalé-Ndoki Project in the Republic of Congo. 

These aren't the only new gorillas in the state recently. 

Late last week, the Columbus Zoo welcomed an "unexpected" baby gorilla. The gorilla was born by an adult gorilla, Sully, which keepers initially thought was a male. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo also welcomed a baby gorilla last week.