The Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo has announced a pregnancy in its western lowland gorilla troop. The organization used World Gorilla Day Thursday to announce 25-year-old Dossi is expecting. “Pregnancy and birth are significant moments for any gorilla,” said animal care manager Jana Swart. “Our animal care, health and welfare team is giving Dossi the care, monitoring and support she needs throughout this important time.” Officials say the pregnancy was confirmed by the zoo through a urine test on June 7. Dossi is now approximately 16-to-17 weeks pregnant. “They can have healthy pregnancies in their 30s or 40s,” Swart said. “Dossi is a prime age to be having a baby.” The birth of her infant is expected between late January and early March 2027. The father-to-be is Jasiri, the troop’s 28-year-old silverback. The pregnancy is Dossi’s second. She gave birth to Eyare, a female she conceived with Jasiri, on April 20, 2022. When she was two, Eyare died after being mistakenly hit by a hydraulic door. Officials say Dossi’s pregnancy is going well so far with only minor changes observed. “She’s in fantastic health; she’s behaving quite normally,” Swart said. “At this early stage, we’re not really seeing much difference yet. Now and then (she’s) a little bit more fatigued.” Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered. The zoo participates in the Western Lowland Gorilla Species Survival Plan, which aims to provide a healthy, genetically diverse population in human care, acting as an assurance population for gorilla survival in the future. There are currently seven gorillas at Calgary’s zoo.
