Essogoué

Born on 1 May 2004 in Gabon to wild parents, Essogoué represents a bridge between wild and managed populations of this critically endangered subspecies.

He arrived at Projet Gorille Fernan-Vaz in September 2004 as a young gorilla, just months after his birth. The facility has been his home for nearly two decades, where he has grown from infant to adult male within their care program.

As a western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), he belongs to the most widespread of the four gorilla subspecies, yet one that the IUCN lists as Critically Endangered. His captive-born status makes him part of conservation efforts aimed at maintaining genetic diversity outside the wild populations of equatorial Africa.