Kigali

Western lowland gorillas face extinction in the wild, with fewer than 100,000 remaining across their African range. At Gulf Breeze Zoo, one young male represents hope for his critically endangered subspecies. Born on a January morning in 2012, he entered the world as the offspring of Rwanda and Babuka.

Captive breeding programs for Gorilla gorilla gorilla require careful genetic management, and his birth added valuable diversity to the North American population. Raised by his mother Rwanda, he has grown from infant to adolescent within the same zoo walls where he first drew breath.

Now over a decade old, he continues to develop at Gulf Breeze Zoo. His species carries the IUCN’s most urgent conservation designation – Critically Endangered – making every individual in managed care part of a larger effort to preserve these remarkable great apes for future generations.