western lowland gorilla

American  

[wes-tern loh-luhnd guh-ril-uh] / ˈwɛs tərn ˈloʊ lənd gəˈrɪl ə /

noun

1. a black, primarily herbivorous, nonterritorial gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla ), a subspecies of the western gorilla and the smallest of all gorilla subspecies, living in a variety of central African habitats, especially the swamp forests of Democratic Republic of the Congo: listed as critically endangered, it is the only gorilla subspecies to live and breed in zoos.

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Etymology

Origin of western lowland gorilla

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

A baby western lowland gorilla was born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in the District of Columbia over the weekend, marking the species’ first birth at the facility in five years.

From Washington Times • May 31, 2023

Our closest evolutionary relatives - chimpanzees and bonobos - were included, along with the western lowland gorilla and Sumatran orangutan.

From Reuters • Apr. 27, 2023

Experts said she and 30-year-old Baraka, a male silverback western lowland gorilla, successfully mated in September.

From Washington Post • Mar. 27, 2023

A critically endangered western lowland gorilla has died in captivity aged 54, it has been announced.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2023

The 46-year-old western lowland gorilla known for her fluff of red hair was euthanized after experiencing health issues over the last few weeks, the zoo said via the zoo’s Twitter account.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 7, 2022