Baby Doll

Wild-born in Cameroon, Baby Doll belonged to one of the world’s most endangered great ape species. Her parents roamed the forests of Central Africa before she entered managed care, bringing with her the genetic heritage of truly wild western lowland gorillas.

At Howletts Wild Animal Park, she lived out her years as part of the conservation efforts for her critically endangered subspecies. The IUCN lists Gorilla gorilla gorilla as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild, making every individual in managed care valuable for the species’ future.

She passed away on 27 November 2018, having reached old age. Her death marked the end of a life that bridged the gap between wild African forests and conservation programs designed to protect her kind.