Johari

Western lowland gorillas face extinction in the wild, with fewer than 100,000 remaining across their African range. The daughter of Josephine and Charles, Johari entered the world at Toronto Zoo on May 12, 2001, part of the carefully managed breeding programs that help sustain this critically endangered subspecies.

Captive-born gorillas like her represent hope for a species under severe pressure from habitat loss and hunting. She spent over two decades at her birth facility before making the move to Calgary Zoo in late June 2025.

At 24 years old, she represents the reproductive potential that conservation programs depend upon. Her subspecies, Gorilla gorilla gorilla, carries the IUCN’s most urgent classification: Critically Endangered. Every gorilla in managed care contributes to our understanding of the species and maintains genetic diversity that may prove essential for future conservation efforts.