Hasani

Western lowland gorillas face extinction in the wild, with fewer than 100,000 remaining across their African range. Born at Lincoln Park Zoo on October 12, 1994, Hasani entered the world as the son of Benga and Gino during a critical period for his subspecies’ survival.

His early years were spent in Chicago before moving to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida at age two and a half. That decade-long chapter lasted until 2007, when he made his final move to the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens. He has remained there for over fifteen years now.

At nearly thirty years old, Hasani represents the importance of managed care programs for critically endangered species. His subspecies, Gorilla gorilla gorilla, carries the IUCN’s most urgent conservation classification. Each captive-born gorilla like him contributes to our understanding of great ape behavior and biology.

Three zoo transfers have shaped his life story, taking him from the Midwest to the Southeast and finally to Southern California. He has spent more than half his life at the Los Angeles Zoo, making it his longest-term home.