SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Feb. 4, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — Mary, one of Hogle Zoo’s western lowland gorillas, is expecting a baby.
The birth window extends through mid-March, a Zoo statement says. Mary, 38, is pregnant as part of the Species Survival Plan.
Mary has experienced successful pregnancies and pregnancy loss in the past, which has helped inform the care she receives during her current pregnancy.
Her prenatal care includes participating in voluntary training and ultrasounds that allow her care team to observe the infant’s bone development and limb movement, a Hogle Zoo statement says.
“Given Mary’s history, Hogle Zoo has prepared for multiple outcomes, including training sessions with the troop’s experienced mothers, Jabali and Pele, to reinforce maternal behaviors,” the news release says.
“To prepare for the birth, the animal care team has added extra hay bedding to the gorilla habitat and is watching for signs of labor.”
The baby’s father and troop silverback is Husani, 34, a Hogle Zoo resident since 2010.
Mary and Husani. Photos: Hogle Zoo
In 2022, Mary and her daughter, Pele, arrived at Hogle Zoo following a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan.
“This pregnancy represents a significant milestone for western lowland gorilla conservation,” the Zoo statement says.
“The species is critically endangered due to illegal poaching, habitat loss, and mining across its range in Angola, Gabon, Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea.
“Poaching and disease have reduced the population by more than 60% over the past 20 to 25 years. Scientists estimate that even if all threats were eliminated today, the population would require 75 years to recover.”
