Pertinax

Western lowland gorillas face extinction in the wild, with fewer than 100,000 left across their African range. Pertinax was born into this critically endangered subspecies at Zoologisch-botanischer Garten Wilhelma on 13 April 1982, the son of Dina and Banjo.

His early years were marked by movement across Europe’s zoo network. Just seven months after birth, he transferred to Frankfurt Zoo, then moved again to Kölner Zoo before his second birthday. These early relocations shaped his path through the managed breeding program for his species.

The longest chapter of his life unfolded at Kölner Zoo, where he lived for over thirteen years. In April 1997, he made his final move to Paignton Zoo & Animal Wildlife Park in England. There he would spend the next 27 years — more than half his lifetime.

Age eventually took its toll. On 25 June 2024, at 42 years old, he was euthanized due to an underlying illness. His four decades spanned a critical period for western lowland gorilla conservation, as zoos worked to maintain genetic diversity in captive populations while wild numbers continued to decline.