The newest member of the gorilla
troop has a name!
Critically Endangered Gorilla Gives Birth to Baby Boy as Part of Species Survival Plan
Utah’s Hogle Zoo is excited to welcome a male western lowland gorilla infant born May 30, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Meet Addo, pronounced (ah-doh). His name is as strong and remarkable as he is, coming from the African Ga language of Ghana, where it means “King of the Road.”
Pele (mom, pronounced pe-lay), Addo, and the troop continue to do very well together. Our teams have seen many positive signs from Addo, like occasionally holding on tightly to Pele without her support – showcasing that strong nature! Husani (dad) stays close to Pele to get a glimpse of his son whenever Pele allows it. Overall, the troop is calm and behaving normally – all of which tells our team the troop is doing well.
The birth occurred naturally, as Hogle Zoo’s animal care team observed the delivery. Staff will continue to monitor Pele and the infant around the clock for additional positive signs that all is going well and that Pele and the infant are adjusting to their environment.
See Addo on your next zoo visit!
Depending on what Addo, Pele, and the troop need, you might spot them outside or in their indoor spaces.
Saturday-Sunday | 2-6 PM – Indoor baby visiting hours
Monday-Friday | 2 PM- Gorilla keeper chat
In 2022, Pele (22) and her mother, Mary (37), came to Utah from Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, on a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP). The Gorilla SSP paired Pele with Hogle Zoo resident Husani, a 32-year-old silverback, as part of an accredited zoo program to provide a healthy, genetically diverse, and self-sustaining population.
The birth marks an important step in the conservation of western lowland gorillas. Threatened by illegal poaching, habitat loss, and mining, western lowland gorillas are critically endangered. Found in Angola, Gabon, Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea, western lowland gorillas are the smallest of the four subspecies.
Conservation threats to gorillas:
- Because of poaching and disease, the gorilla’s numbers have declined by more than 60% over the last 20 to 25 years. Even if all threats to western lowland gorillas were removed, scientists calculate that the population would require 75 years to recover.
- Utah’s Hogle Zoo collects old cell phones, iPods, iPads, tablets, and MP3 players and sends them to Eco-Cell— a company that repurposes and recycles electronics. All proceeds support conservation efforts such as the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center in the Congo, working to save the critically endangered Gauer’s gorilla.
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