![]() In January, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund President and CEO/Chief Science Officer Tara Stoinski spoke during a Dallas Zoo Wild Earth Conservation Lecture held at the Angelika Film Center here in Dallas. And at the Dallas Zoo, we’re honored to support the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund as one of our conservation partners. As a result, mountain gorillas are the only species of ape whose numbers are slowly increasing how ever, with less than 900 individuals remaining, this species is still critically endangered. Established in 1978, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund has dedicated nearly 50 years to protecting mountain gorilla populations. The Dallas Zoo and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International are in this battle together, pledging resources, time, and efforts toward gorilla conservation. With 295 western lowland gorillas living in AZA-accredited zoos, the nation’s top zoos have never been more committed to protecting this species in human care and in their native habitat.ĭallas Zoo based Fossey Fund board members at headquarters in Rwanda with Tara Stoinski There are roughly 3,800 Grauer’s gorillas, 880 mountain gorillas, and 300 Cross River gorillas remaining in the wild. Native to the Congo Basin, western lowland gorillas are the smallest of the subspecies and the least critically endangered. According to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, the world’s leading gorilla conservation organization and a Dallas Zoo partner, there are approximately 350,000 western lowland gorillas left in Africa. Keepers trained Hope to voluntarily participate in her own health care, allowing us to observe movement hear the heartbeat see the infant’s bladder, spine, appendages and confirm when its head was down.”ĭue to habitat destruction, poaching for bush meat and the animal trafficking trade, and disease, gorillas have never been under greater threat in the wild. “Hope’s pregnancy lasted 8.5 months and we were able to monitor the baby’s growth along the way through ultrasound. “It’s incredible to see how our troop is reacting to the baby – they’re all managing well and Hope has been super patient with their presence,” said Keith Zdrojewski, Dallas Zoo’s Curator of Primates and Carnivores. Twenty-two-year-old father Subira is very curious of the infant and calmly investigates the little one 13-year-old female Megan is the most inquisitive, staying very close to Hope and 21-year-old female Shanta is extremely respectful of Hope, giving her privacy and space. Hope continues to keep her baby close, so keepers have not been able to definitively confirm the gender. ![]() The family troop remains behind the scenes where Hope and her baby are bonding privately. The zoo cares for nine gorillas, including its bachelor troop who live on the south side of the Gorilla Trail, and the family troop who live on the north side. We’re feeling a ton of emotions – excitement, relief, gratitude – and now we have to ensure this infant grows into a successful member of our gorilla troop.” “Reproducing critically endangered species is no easy feat, and this moment doesn’t come without its share of obstacles. “It’s taken a lot of perseverance, the right chemistry, and a team of dedicated animal experts to get here,” said Harrison Edell, Executive Vice President of Animal Care and Conservation. Hope arrived at the Dallas Zoo in February 2017 on an Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan breeding recommendation in *hopes* of increasing the population in North America. This is Hope’s second baby – she delivered her first in 2004 at the ABQ BioPark Zoo in Albuquerque, NM. “We’ve dedicated years of conservation field work to saving gorillas in the wild and now we’re proudly increasing their numbers in human care. Waited patiently for 20 years for this moment,” said Gregg Hudson, Dallas Zoo’s President and CEO. “Welcoming a critically endangered gorilla into our family is one of the most significant animal announcements we can make, and we’ve Silverback Subira, a first-time father, was the first member of the troop to greet the baby, gently putting his lips on the infant’s head shortly after birth. Baby was holding onto mom on its own (as it should) immediately after birth. ![]()
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