N'Gayla

Western lowland gorillas face extinction in the wild, with fewer than 100,000 left across their African range. Born at Burgers’ Zoo on 9 May 1993, N’Gayla represents one of the captive-born individuals helping maintain genetic diversity in managed populations across Europe. Her parents, N’diki and Gorgo, were part of the zoo’s established breeding program.

Raised within the familiar social structure of her birth troop, she has experienced the full spectrum of gorilla development over thirty years. From infant dependency through adolescence to full adulthood, her life has unfolded entirely within the same facility where she first drew breath.

At three decades old, N’Gayla has witnessed significant changes in gorilla conservation efforts. Her subspecies carries the IUCN designation of Critically Endangered, making every captive-born gorilla like her part of a crucial safety net for the species’ future.