Event type
Animal Awareness Day
Event status
Coming soon
Dates
24 September
28 September
28 September
Price
Free with Zoo Admission
Celebrate World Gorilla Day with us at London Zoo!
London Zoo is home to a family troop of seven Critically Endangered Western Lowland Gorillas; patriarch Kiburi, adult females Effie and Mjuku, their juveniles Alika and Gernot, and babies Venus and Juno, who will be celebrating their first World Gorilla Day, having just been born in January and February this year.
World Gorilla Day is on Tuesday 24 September but in case you can't make that day, we're putting on an extra day of celebrations on Saturday 28 September! It will be a day all about gorillas, with extra activities, keeper Q&As, games, puzzles, and prizes to be won! What's more, it's all included in our normal day admission ticket to the Zoo!
Why are we celebrating?
Gorillas, including the Western Lowlands, are Critically Endangered, with numbers declining due to deforestation, poaching, and the mining of coltan, a rare metal that is commonly used in electronic devices including mobile phones and laptops, and 80% of which is mined from gorilla habitat. They are also very closely related to us humans, with 98% of our DNA shared.
London Zoo is part of a global breeding programme to safeguard these incredible animals, so our new arrivals earlier this year is an incredible step towards this. We are also working in the West Congo Basin and the Dja Biosphere Reserve in Cameroon, to protect gorilla habitats and prevent poaching by working with local communities, and tackle the illegal wildlife trade.
Throughout our World Gorilla Day celebrations, we want you to join us in celebrating the incredible species that gorillas are, and support the work being done to protect them.
Schedule of activities
Hang tight! The full itinerary of talks and activities will be posted here in due course so do keep an eye out - it'll be a spectacular one!
All Day
Head into Gorilla Kingdom where we will have a stand displaying lots of gorilla artefacts and biofacts, have quizzes, videos, and info on our gorilla conservation work including tips on how you can help protect wild gorilla populations!
There are Golden Tickets that will be given out throughout the day and prizes to be won at one of our talks.
Members
Members will get a free gorilla pin badge. Pick one up on your way through the main entrance or show your membership card at the Gorilla stand to claim your free badge! There's only a limited number so hurry before they run out!
Not a member? Become a member and you'll get free entry to London Zoo or Whipsnade Zoo for a whole year of activities and fun!