Mushie

Wild-born parents in Cameroon gave birth to a daughter who would spend her life in managed care at Howletts Wild Animal Park. Mushie belonged to the western lowland gorilla subspecies, one of the most endangered great apes on the planet.

Her parents had lived free in the forests of Cameroon before she came into the world. This connection to wild genetics made her part of the broader conservation effort for her critically endangered subspecies.

She lived her years at Howletts Wild Animal Park, where keepers knew her as part of their gorilla community. The IUCN lists western lowland gorillas as Critically Endangered, with populations continuing to face pressure from habitat loss and human encroachment across central Africa.

Mushie died at Howletts on 23 April 2022, marking the end of a life that bridged the gap between wild Cameroon forests and conservation programs in managed care.