Aspinall Foundation Celebrate 130th Gorilla Birth

The Aspinall Foundation has just recently celebrating the birth of an amazing 130th gorilla at their Kent Parks, quite a feat! The Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Park care for the largest group of Western lowland gorillas outside of Africa, housing some 73 gorillas. The latest addition was born to mother Kishi and father Djala, and is the latest addition to a family group of 13 gorillas.

Head gorilla keeper at Port Lympne, Phil Ridges, said –

It is absolutely fantastic to welcome our 130th gorilla birth at the parks in just over 35 years. It works out at an average of 3 and-a-half baby gorillas a year since our first birth in 1975, so we are doing well! Gorillas are one of the species that The Aspinall Foundation’s two Kent parks are best known for and we are justly proud of our breeding program which is the best in the world. Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered and if their numbers keep declining they could face extinction in as little as ten or fifteen years. As well as caring for gorillas at our parks and helping the global breeding effort by sending gorillas to other collections worldwide, we also work to protect gorillas in the wild and, where possible, reintroduce gorillas born at the parks back into their natural environment.

The parks were originally set up in 1975 by the late John Aspinall to help protect and breed threatened species. Their incredibly successful breeding programs has seen the Aspinall Foundation reintroduce over 50 gorillas back to the wild, whilst also protecting over 1 million acres of wilderness across Africa. It’s thanks to your kind donations and animal sponsorship that the Aspinall Foundation can continue their conservation work with endangered species, and of course, gorillas.

Let’s hope we will continue to celebrate many more births at the Howletts and Port Lympne park for many years to come.