Endangered gorilla gives birth to adorable baby at Utah zoo. See the ‘King of the Road’

Utah’s Hogle Zoo has a brand new — and important — member of its gorilla family.

The critically endangered baby named Addo was born at the end of May, and on June 13, the staff announced his name.

“His name is as strong and remarkable as he is,” the zoo said in their announcement, commending the infant’s physical strength.

Addo, pronounced like “ah-doh,” derives from the Ga language of Ghana, West Africa.

“It means ‘King of the Road,’” the zoo said.

Photos show Addo curled up with his mother, Pele.

Pele, 22, came to the zoo in 2022 as part of a breeding program in the Gorilla Species Survival Plan, according to an April 12 post by the zoo. Pele was welcomed as a genetic match for the zoo’s resident male, Husani, 32, who is Addo’s father.

Western lowland gorillas such as Addo, Pele and Husani are considered critically endangered, largely due to poaching and disease, according to the World Wildlife Fund. In the last 25 years, their global population has decreased by more than 60%. Experts say that if all threats were removed, it would still take the species 75 years to fully recover.

Addo’s birth is “an important step in the conservation of western lowland gorillas,” the zoo said.

This story was originally published June 19, 2024 at 10:40 AM with the headline "Endangered gorilla gives birth to adorable baby at Utah zoo. See the ‘King of the Road’."