Ya Kwanza

Western lowland gorillas face extinction in the wild, with fewer than 100,000 left across their African range. Born at Melbourne Zoo in 1984 to parents Yuska and Rigo, Ya Kwanza entered the world as part of the critical captive breeding programs working to preserve his subspecies.

His early years were spent in Australia before moving to the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in 1993, where he lived for nearly two decades. This extended stay at Durrell represented the longest chapter of his life, spanning from his juvenile years into full adulthood as a silverback.

Later years brought two more relocations across European facilities. He moved to La Vallée des Singes in 2011, though this stay lasted less than a year before his final transfer to Zoo d’Amnéville in early 2012. There he lived for five years until heart failure during a routine anesthetic procedure ended his life in May 2017.

As a Critically Endangered species, every western lowland gorilla in managed care represents hope for the subspecies’ future. Ya Kwanza’s 33-year lifespan contributed to the genetic diversity and conservation knowledge that zoos worldwide depend upon in their fight against extinction.