Nyah, Western Lowland Gorilla

Lincoln Park Zoo is excited to announce that a new gorilla can now be viewed at Regenstein Center for African Apes! Nyah, an 11-year-old female, will soon be joining the family troop.

Nyah’s transfer out of her natal group at Buffalo Zoo—where she was born September 4, 2013, to Koga and Lily—was recommended by the Western Lowland Gorilla Species Survival Plan®. Upon her arrival to Lincoln Park Zoo, she has been acclimating to her new environment while getting to know her care team. As her natural personality comes out, Animal Care staff are finding that she is a great nest builder, willingly participates in operant conditioning sessions, and likes to interact with enrichment.

Western lowland gorillas make up the most widespread gorilla subspecies and can be found in central and western Africa. They live in swamps and lowland forests and are social, residing in groups averaging around five individuals. Family groups are led by a dominant silverback male and include females, offspring, and younger males. They are herbivores and spend most of their time on the ground. Each night, they build nests of leaves and branches around themselves to sleep in.

This species has lost more than 80% of its population over the last seven decades and is critically endangered due to poaching, habitat loss, disease, and climate change. Lincoln Park Zoo studies these gorillas in the Congo Basin through the Goualougo Triangle Ape Project, the only habituated research site in the world where gorillas and chimps coexist. The zoo also houses the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, which studies the cognition and specialized care of these intelligent animals.

Two groups of gorillas, a family troop and a bachelor troop, live at Lincoln Park Zoo. Nyah will be welcomed into the family group, which is led by 35-year-old Kwan and also includes Bella, Bahati, Mondika, Djeke, and Rollie. Try to get a glimpse of her the next time you’re at the zoo!