Emily Chan
A 2018 study estimated that over 360,000 gorillas still occupy the forests of Western Equatorial Africa, but 80 percent of those gorillas inhabit unprotected areas.
Hunting, habitat loss, and disease outbreaks have caused western lowland gorilla numbers to drop. They have also contributed to a 60 percent decline in populations in the past 20 to 25 years.
Over the last 15 years, about one-third of the total population found in protected habitats has been affected by the Ebola virus.
In the wild, gorillas can live for 30 to 40 years. Under the care of humans, they can live into their 50s. In 1956, the first gorilla to be born in professional care was named Colo.
She lived to be a record-breaking 60-year-old, the oldest gorilla in a zoo at that time. She passed away in 2017, but her legacy lives on, helping to protect the future of the species.
You can see the photos of the Columbus Zoo’s new baby here.
