Critically Endangered Gorilla Born On Camera!

The ABQ BioPark has more exciting great ape news! Samantha the gorilla gave birth yesterday at 10:29 a.m. Mom and baby are doing well, and have started nursing.

ABQ BioPark caregivers were present during the birth, but watched remotely via camera in order to avoid disturbing the natural process. At 15 years old, Samantha is a first time mom, so staff were ready to intervene for the health and safety of mom and baby. Luckily, this was unnecessary! Samantha did great!

Mom and baby will have access to their outside yard today. Guests should be prepared for the Ape Walk to be intermittently closed to allow for privacy and a quiet environment while baby and mom bond.

The father is 20-year-old Kojo, who came to the BioPark in early 2021. This is the first time the ABQ BioPark has welcomed a baby gorilla since 2004. We do not yet know the baby's sex. We look forward to sharing more photos and footage in the coming days and weeks!

Tilla's Got A Case Of The Zoomies!

Tilla keeps Mama Bibi quite busy at Zoo Berlin. 🦍🥰 See more of Tilla Gorilla in this ZooBorns curated Playlist!

Checking In With Little Tilla!

Gorillas are the heaviest and largest great ape species. Adult males can weigh up to 200kg and grow to 2m tall. Western lowland gorillas live in family units, consisting of several females and a dominant male, the silverback. They are diurnal and spend most of their time eating. Gorillas eat almost exclusively vegetarian, on the menu are in addition to leaves and herbs, roots and fruits. As "gardeners of the African rainforest", they play an important role in the ecosystem through the distribution of seeds and thus contribute to the preservation of biodiversity.

Want to know more about Zoo Berlin’s gorilla family? Then we have good news: After a two-year break due to the pandemic, the "Keeper talks" at the Zoo are back. These convey a lot of additional, exciting information. The "Keeper talk" with Berlin’s gorillas takes place on site daily at 2 pm.

Here Comes A Long-awaited Update On Rotterdam Zoo’s Gorilla Infant!

At only a few days old, the little one was drinking well and staying close to mother Aya. They regularly received 'maternity visits' from Ayba; Aya's eldest daughter. She was very interested in her then yet-to-be-sexed newborn sibling. Father Bokito did not interfere with the upbringing, but did ensure peace and harmony in the group.

The newborn gorilla was determined to be a male. Rotterdam Zoo have the tradition of choosing a name with the first letter of the mother, in this case the A of Aya. The caretakers came up with three beautiful African names and put it to a public vote. The resulting name was: Ajabu (meaning miracle).

Her Name Is Eyare!

In case you missed it, Wilder Institute / Calgary Zoo’s littlest troop member has a name. Her name is ‘Eyare” which means ‘treasure, gift, pride’.

At nearly two months old, zoo staff couldn’t be happier with Eyare's continued growth and development. In addition to her two upper incisors, she has sprouted two lower incisors! She’s also starting to pick things up and grasp other items (besides her mom, ‘Dossi’s hair!).

Dossi is starting to interact with Eyare in new and playful ways – like placing her in a sitting position or laying on her back while she holds Eyare in the air atop her feet.

Be sure you’re following #YYCGorillaBaby as we continue to share her milestone moments along the way.

Ali The Gorilla Has Turned 4!

Cuteness overload alert at Brookfield Zoo! In honor of Ali gorilla's 4th birthday yesterday, we've shared a montage of some of her most adorable antics over the years. We bet you can't stop from smiling while you watch!

Ali was born at Brookfield Zoo in 2018 to mom Koola and is part of the Zoo’s western lowland gorilla troop in Tropic World. Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered primarily due to commercial hunting for the bushmeat trade, diseases such as the Ebola virus, as well as the illegal pet trade and habitat destruction from logging. It is estimated that there are approximately 200,000 western lowland gorillas in their native West Africa habitat (the forests of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Congo, and Angola), and almost 350 western lowland gorillas living in accredited North American zoos. Adopt Ali today and be part of her care and support!

https://czs.org/AliGorilla

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo Family Has Grown By One Beautiful Baby Western Lowland Gorilla

Calgary, AB – The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo announced they are absolutely thrilled to share that "Dossi", the zoo’s beloved 21-year-old western lowland gorilla, gave birth to a baby early the morning of April 20, 2022. Mom and baby are doing well so far with great early mothering skills being shown by Dossi. The Animal Care, Health & Welfare team will continue to closely monitor their progression. 

Baby Western Lowland Gorilla Born At Chessington World Of Adventures Zoo

Surrey, Tuesday April 26: The primate zookeepers at Chessington World of Adventures are delighted to announce the arrival of a baby Western lowland gorilla. The currently unnamed new arrival was born in the early hours of Sunday April 24, and is being closely monitored by the team whilst they stay close to their mother and slowly get introduced to the rest of the troop behind closed doors.

Seeking a Name For a ZooBorn Newborn Gorilla

Rotterdam Zoo’s newborn gorilla is a boy! His caretakers have come up with three beautiful names: Amadi (African for: happiness), Ajabu (African for: miracle) and Anayo (African for: thank god). The Netherlands Zoo has a tradition of choosing an African name beginning with the first letter of the mother’s name, in this case A for Aya. Can you help with this choice? Vote until March 24 at https://www.diergaardeblijdorp.nl/stem-op-naam-gorilla/

Download the free Blijdorp app for webcams, facts, handy route planner and much more: https://www.diergaardeblijdorp.nl/blijdorp-app/

Introducing Kayembe!

“Kayembe” (Kah-YEM-Bay), meaning “extraordinary,” is the name of the baby gorilla born October 26 at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. The Zoo and Cleveland-based CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) today revealed the name following a three-week naming campaign in support of gorilla conservation through the Zoo’s longtime partnership with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. “Kayembe” made history as the first gorilla born at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in its 139 years.

The naming campaign received over 600 donations, raising nearly $15,000 for the Fossey Fund in Rwanda. Named after conservation pioneer Dian Fossey, the Fossey Fund has been saving gorillas for more than 50 years.

MORE PHOTOS BELOW THE FOLD!