Western lowland gorilla Patty comes to Philly zoo as potential breeding partner

Patty, an 11-year-old western lowland gorilla, is the newest resident of the Philadelphia Zoo. 

The species is critically endangered, and Patty came here as a potential partner for Motuba, a 39-year-old male, through a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' breeding program. Visitors can find her in the zoo's primate reserve section, joining a troop of five other gorillas.

Patty is confident and very smart, according to Michael Stern, curator of primates and small mammals. Patty was born in October 2013 at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Staff there said she often played with and helped care for younger gorillas, which are positive indications that she'll be a good mother. 

“Patty is a wonderful addition to our western lowland gorilla troop,” Stern said. “Philadelphia Zoo has a rich history of successful gorilla births, and we are hopeful to see new offspring in the future as we continue our important work protecting and advocating for this critically endangered species.”

Western lowland gorillas are found in Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Congo and Central African Republic. Though they're considered endangered, it's unclear exactly how many remain as they inhabit some of the most dense parts of the rainforest. The gorillas typically gather in groups of three to 21 in the wild. 

The gorillas usually only bear one baby at time with a gestation period of about eight months. Babies are typically around 5 pounds at birth, and unlike other gorilla species, western lowlands can't hang onto their mothers until they're about 3 months old. 

Two western lowland gorillas have been born at the Philadelphia Zoo in the past decade, in 2016 and 2017. One has since moved to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska.