Male Gorilla - Photos

A male western lowland gorilla at Port Lympne Wild Animal Reserve in Kent. They have 21 in total including a silverback, 9 bachelor males, 8 adult females and 3 young males. All gorillas (made up of 4 sub-species) are on the IUCN critically endangered list and there are now only 95,000 Western lowland gorillas, 90% less than 10 years ago. Port Lympne and it's sister park Howletts have had some significant success with 138 births since 1975. The Aspinall Foundation working alongside Howletts and Port Lympne have pioneered the release of captive born gorillas into the wild. Orphaned baby gorillas have been raised by the Aspinall Foundation and taught to survive in the wild, they are then, alongside captive born gorillas released into reserves. These reserves cover over a million acres of Congo and Gabon which the Aspinall Foundation helps protect and manage. This conservation project has given a safe home to over 50 gorillas, which have gone on to have more than 30 babies.