The Henry Doorly Zoo's baby western lowland gorilla now has a name.
Kgosi was the name selected by the zookeepers who care for the gorillas. The name, which means "a king" was submitted by 13 year old Aven Cramer of Omaha. A total of 825 name suggestions were submitted. The naming campaign also raised nearly $300 for the Gorilla Fund International to help conservation efforts.
The parents of Kgosi are 21-year-old Timu and 22-year-old Tambo. The mother, Timu, came to
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium from the Cincinnati Zoo in 1996. This is her fourth
baby. The father, Tambo, arrived in 2001 from the Bronx Zoo and this is his first offspring.
The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium's Hubbard Gorilla Valley is currently home to eight
male and three female gorillas, including the new baby. Western lowland gorillas are currently
listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources. Living in the tropical forests of western Africa, the largest threat to their
population is the logging industry which destroys the forest habitat.
