The Toronto Zoo has welcomed the newest addition to its family — a baby Western Lowland gorilla, a species which is critically endangered.
Twenty-year-old Western Lowland gorilla Ngozi gave birth to the baby early Thursday, according to zoo officials.
Both mom and baby are doing well. His father Charles is a 46-year-old silverback male. The zoo hasn’t been able to determine the sex of the baby as it has been staying close to its mom.
The baby is Ngozi’s third — she is also mother to nine-year-old Nassir and four-year-old Nneka — and is the 11th of the endangered species to be fathered by Charles.
“We are very excited with this birth,” said Maria Franke, curator of mammals at the zoo, in the statement. “Gorillas are under extreme threats in the wild including poaching, disease, and habitat loss.
“It is predicted that the wild population will have an 80 per cent reduction over three generations and it is essential that we educate the public and do everything we can to save this critically endangered species.”
The zoo is currently home to eight gorillas — three adults and four young gorillas.
Western Lowland gorillas are usually found in the rainforests of Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria and Gabon.
Ngozi and baby can be seen in the African Rainforest Pavilion, the zoo said.
The baby’s name and gender will be revealed at a later date.