Calgary zoo announces pregnancy of Dossi, its endangered western lowland gorilla

CALGARY – The Calgary zoo’s troop of western lowland gorillas is growing — and it’s big news for a species that is on the critically endangered list.

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. 

Zoo officials say she is approximately 16 to 17 weeks pregnant, and is doing well.

“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. 

“She’s in fantastic health. She’s behaving quite normally at this early stage.”

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. 

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.

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.

“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.

“We’re very excited to be contributing to ensure the viability of this critically endangered species in the wild.”

She added that it’s also an exciting time for little Okabe, who will have a playmate soon. 

The father is 28-year-old Jasiri, the only adult male western lowland gorilla at the zoo.

Western lowland gorilla populations in the wild are facing significant threats due to poaching, habitat loss and disease. 

The Calgary zoo is part of the lowland gorilla species survival plan.

Dossi’s due date is listed between late January and early March 2027.

It’s Dossi and Jasiri’s second baby. The first, Eyare, was born at the zoo in April 2022, but died in 2024 after a worker accidentally closed a wrong door and struck her in the head.

Swart said there is a higher preference for female gorillas because of breeding, but the important thing is that the baby is healthy. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2026.