Afia

Western lowland gorillas face extinction in the wild, making every birth in managed care precious for the species’ future. Afia came into the world at Moscow Zoological Gardens on a summer day in July 2016, the daughter of mother Kira and father Vizuri.

Captive-born gorillas like her represent hope for a subspecies that has lost most of its natural habitat across Central and West Africa. She has grown up within the established social structure at Moscow Zoo, learning essential behaviors from her mother and the broader troop.

At eight years old, she remains part of the same family group where she was born. Her subspecies carries the scientific name Gorilla gorilla gorilla and holds Critically Endangered status according to the IUCN, with wild populations continuing to decline due to habitat loss, disease, and hunting pressure across their native range.