Evelyn

Western lowland gorillas face extinction in the wild, with fewer than 100,000 remaining across their African range. Born at Los Angeles Zoo in March 1976, Evelyn represented one of the early successes in captive breeding programs for this critically endangered subspecies. Her parents, Kay and Bum, were part of the zoo’s founding gorilla population during an era when managed care was still developing best practices for great apes.

For nearly five decades, she lived within the same zoo community where she was born. This stability allowed her to form deep social bonds and witness multiple generations of gorillas come and go around her. Few captive gorillas reach such an advanced age – her 46 years far exceeded the typical lifespan for her species.

By late 2022, age had taken its toll on her overall health. Veterinarians and keepers made the difficult decision to euthanize her in December, ending one of the longest gorilla lives in Los Angeles Zoo’s history. Her death marked the end of an era for a facility that had cared for her from birth to her final days.