Busch Gardens Welcomes Bouncing Baby Gorilla

TAMPA, FL — Visitors to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay may notice a new face in the park’s Myombe Reserve Habitat. Baby western lowland gorilla Oliver officially joined the family on Aug. 18.

Busch Gardens announced Oliver’s birth on Thursday, Sept. 29. Oliver is the son of 28-year-old Mary, who has been a fixture at the park since 2010. His sire is Bolingo, 10, who was born at Busch Gardens back in 2005.

“This successful birth makes a total of seven gorillas that call Busch Gardens Tampa Bay home,” the park announced in a media release Thursday.

Oliver’s birth is part of Busch Gardens’ participation in the Species Survival Plan overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Species survival plans are put into place so AZA-accredited facilities can help manage specific species’ populations. The program is typically geared toward threatened or endangered species, which is the case with lowland gorillas.

Western lowland gorillas are found in tropical forests in such parts of Africa as Cameroon, Gabon, Congo and Equatorial Guinea. The species is considered critically endangered due to poaching and disease-related destruction of habitat, Busch Gardens said.

Myombe Reserve is a special habitat at Busch Gardens created especially for lowland gorillas and chimpanzees. The habitat enables visitors to view these creatures from as little as a few inches away.

To find out more about Busch Gardens or checking out Oliver’s home at the Myombe Reserve, visit the park online.

Photos courtesy of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay