Ozala

Western lowland gorillas face extinction in the wild, with fewer than 100,000 left across their African range. Born at Twycross Zoo on 19 March 1994, Ozala represents one of the captive-born females helping sustain this critically endangered subspecies in managed care. Her parents, Biddy and Mamfe, were part of the breeding program that brought her into the world.

Raised within the Twycross troop, she has never known life outside the zoo where she was born. Three decades have passed since her arrival, making her one of the facility’s longest-established gorillas. The subspecies Gorilla gorilla gorilla continues to decline in Central and West Africa due to habitat loss and hunting pressure.

At thirty years old, she has lived through significant changes in gorilla care and conservation understanding. Her presence at Twycross Zoo contributes to the genetic diversity needed for the survival of her subspecies in managed populations across Europe.