Staff at the Toronto Zoo have thwarted a primal prince’s plan to usurp his father’s throne by giving him a kingdom of his own.

It’s a unique approach that will preserve the reign of Charles, a silverback gorilla who has held his “King of the Jungle” post since the zoo opened more than 40 years ago.

Two weeks ago, keepers separated Charles and his son Sadiki to prevent a potential chaotic cage match from taking place.

This creation of a “bachelor troop” is a daring move for the zoo’s resident Western Lowland Gorilla experts because the species is known for its complex social structure. Each animal in the group has a distinct and dynamic personality.

Weighing in at 90 kg, Sadiki sports a lean but muscular build with a brownish-grey coat and auburn crest. He was raised primarily by his father after his mother, Samantha, died following a stroke when the primate was still young.

“As Charles’ kid, he was able to get away with a lot of stuff,” said Ali Vella-Irving, one of the zoo’s gorilla keepers. Charles wouldn’t take kindly to other gorillas disciplining his son, she explained.

Yet troubles began last summer when keepers noticed Sadiki showing off some side effects of puberty. The 11-year-old, now a boisterous young buck, began to show an interest in the rainforest throne. The resulting animal drama played out as if it were nature’s own version of Game of Thrones.

It put the zookeepers on guard.

“If anyone goes against the hierarchy, it will cause conflict,” said Vella-Irving. “The role of the silverback to keep everyone in check.”

Just like a smart-aleck, hormonally challenged teenager, Sadiki began to spar with his dad. Hoots were hollered but Charles put up with his son’s sparring — Vella-Irving described it as Sadiki getting in his face. But like every parent, eventually his patience waned.

And who would blame him? At 45 years old, he’s arthritic, sore and well past his prime. After all, fathering more than 10 kids takes its toll.

“We saw behaviour indicating it wasn't going to be much longer before a fight,” said Vella-Irving.

If a fight were to break out, however, the keepers said it would hardly resemble a Hollywood-style beast brawl.

Gorillas generally don’t go ape, explained Vella-Irving. Instead, altercations are more likely to take the form of boxing match, except with more bluffing and less brawling. In gorilla society, standing upright sends just as powerful a message as baring teeth and pulling hair might.

“A fight doesn’t play out like a predator who is trying to kill; they just want the other gorilla to back down,” said Vella-Irving.

Family feuds aren’t the only danger threatening this species, however.

The western lowland gorillas are critically endangered. Ebola, hemorrhagic fever and forest loss have decimated their numbers in the wild, reducing them to fewer than 100,000.

So, for this Toronto troop, family is legacy. The continued existence of their species may be sitting on their shoulders.

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Sadiki’s genes are pure — both his father and recently deceased mother were born in the wild — which makes the 11-year-old ape an integral part of the Gorilla Species Survival Plan. The multinational effort helps manage the survival and genetic diversity of more than 360 gorillas in North America.

For now, the plan is for Sadiki to mature in the bachelor troop over the next few years. He will most likely rise to the rank of silverback one day, albeit at another North American facility.

On Tuesday, Charles could be seen resting in the afternoon light, just steps away from his 2-year-old daughter Nneka. The calm giant stretched every so often, just enough to show the silver-tinged streak down his back.