Muke

Western lowland gorillas face extinction in the wild, with fewer than 100,000 remaining across their African range. Muke represents one of the captive-born members of this critically endangered subspecies, hatched into the world at Cincinnati Zoo on September 5, 1981. Her parents, Amani and Ramses I, contributed to what would become a multi-decade life in managed care.

For over three decades, she remained at her birth facility before making her first major move in 2012. The transfer to Oklahoma City Zoo marked a new chapter, though her time there lasted just over three years. In June 2015, she made another significant relocation to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo.

Now more than four decades old, she has experienced life at three different institutions across the American Midwest. Her longevity speaks to the careful management of western lowland gorillas in captivity, where breeding programs work to maintain genetic diversity for this critically endangered species. Each of her transfers likely served strategic purposes in the broader conservation effort for Gorilla gorilla gorilla.