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The Calgary Zoo’s troop of western lowland gorillas is growing \u2014 and it’s big news for a species that is on the critically endangered list.<\/p>\n
The Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo announced Thursday, on World Gorilla Day, that 25-year-old Dossi is expecting a baby early in the new year.<\/p>\n
Zoo officials say she is approximately 16 to 17 weeks pregnant, and is doing well.<\/p>\n
“They can have healthy pregnancies in their 30s, 40s, but Dossi is a prime age to be having a baby,” said Jana Swart, an animal care manager at the zoo.<\/p>\n
“She’s in fantastic health. She’s behaving quite normally at this early stage.”<\/p>\n
Swart said staff aren’t seeing that much of a change yet in Dossi, only that she gets a bit more tired at times and has a healthy appetite.<\/p>\n
Dossi seemed unimpressed with all the attention Thursday. She lay in a corner of the gorilla habitat before lumbering into the outdoor enclosure to choose some branches for a snack.<\/p>\n
The last gorilla born at the zoo was Okabe, in 2023, who spent part of his time Thursday morning doing somersaults and balancing a large rubber ball on his hands and feet.<\/p>\n
“It is a very important milestone, not only for the species as a whole, but also for our efforts here at the zoo,” Swart said.<\/p>\n
“We’re very excited to be contributing to ensure the viability of this critically endangered species in the wild.”<\/p>\n
She added that it’s also an exciting time for little Okabe, who will have a playmate soon.<\/p>\n
The father is Jasiri, 28, the only adult male western lowland gorilla at the zoo.<\/p>\n
Western lowland gorilla populations in the wild are facing significant threats due to poaching, habitat loss and disease.<\/p>\n
The Calgary Zoo is part of the lowland gorilla species survival plan.<\/p>\n
Dossi’s due date is listed between late January and early March 2027.<\/p>\n