Toronto Zoo Former Toronto Zoo Animals

 
 
Zoo adventures said:
Asha, the western lowland gorilla at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is pregnant. She is due to give birth mid-May and end of July. The sire is Goma. Asha is the daughter of Barney, who lived at the Toronto Zoo before.
8.5K views · 497 reactions | Mother’s Day is extra special in Primate World this year! Asha, a 32-year-old critically endangered Western lowland gorilla, is pregnant. She is due between mid-May and the end of July. This will be Asha's third offspring and dad, Goma's, first little one. Asha is super smart, and she approaches a training panel and presents her stomach so we can touch it with the ultrasound wand. She’ll stand and get training rewards for participating, and her methods of presenting her stomach to us are adorable. During ultrasounds, Asha stands next to the mesh training panel and leans her stomach sideways against the mesh, with her arms outstretched above her. Keepers, from the other side of the protective barrier, slip an ultrasound wand through the mesh and press it against her abdomen. Animal keepers say the ultrasound gel is often off-putting for animals – even if they warm it up. Animals typically don’t like the texture, but Asha doesn’t mind. She participates in the ultrasound sessions for around 30 minutes, and is free to leave the sessions any time she pleases. She offers her belly to keepers in a more ‘theatrical’ way, too. “She has an especially graceful stomach presentation, where she lifts one leg straight up against the mesh, like a ballerina, so we can position the wand on the underside of her round tummy,” Jon Wild, lead Primate World keeper, says. “Guests get a real kick out of seeing that, and it gives us great wand placement options to see the baby moving around.” Read the full announcement, and why this is so special for the troop, here: https://conta.cc/4m9VwVO | Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
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Asha the western lowland gorilla, successfully gave birth to a healthy infant on July 21 at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
22K views · 1.8K reactions | There were hushed moments of pure joy at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo this morning, as a small group of Primate World keepers and staff gathered to adore the Zoo’s newest addition: a brand-new gorilla baby bundle of joy born in the early hours of Mon., July 21, 2025. Asha, a 32-year-old critically endangered Western lowland gorilla, and her new baby seem to be doing well. The baby has hit the milestones that indicate it is strong, including nursing and clinging to its mom. “Asha is sitting and lying down with the baby and gently patting its back, which is really adorable,” Ashton Asbury, Primate World animal keeper, says. “The baby hangs onto Asha while she’s moving around and she supports it with one hand. They’re bonding really well, and we have seen her licking the baby’s head and grooming it.” First-time dad, Goma, is showing interest in the baby, too. “He seems to want to stick close to her and the baby,” Ashton says. “I heard him making happy gorilla grumbles at them, and Asha is doing a good job of showing him the baby while keeping a comfortable distance.” It has been nearly 13 years since a gorilla was born at CMZoo. This little one is Asha’s third baby and the first for silverback dad, Goma. Asha was born at CMZoo on Oct. 5, 1992. Thirty-four-year-old Goma moved to CMZoo, in 2016, on a breeding recommendation from the Western Lowland Gorilla Species Survival Plan, supported by Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited organizations, including CMZoo. Primate World is open to the public and will continue to be as long as Asha and the troop continue to do well. Asha’s care team will continue to monitor her and the baby – and the troop’s overall dynamic – and make adjustments as needed. The sex and weight of the gorilla baby are not known yet. As long as keepers observe that baby and mom are doing well, they will continue to let Asha take the lead on providing care. The baby will likely cling to Asha for the first several weeks, but will start getting to know its dad, Goma, and ‘aunt’ Kwisha (who is unrelated genetically, but grew up with Asha and had a relationship with both of her offspring), as long as Asha is comfortable. Asha is an experienced mother. She has welcomed two previous babies to the world during her time at CMZoo, both of whom now live in troops at other zoos. Although the goal is to let Asha take the lead on newborn care, her supportive team is ready to help if the need arises. As a first-time dad, Goma has been participating in training with his care team that aims to improve his comfort around the baby. Following Cheyenne Mountain Zoo tradition, the baby will be named after he or she is at least 30 days old. CMZoo will provide updates on social media channels and in newsletter updates. | Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
 
Zoo adventures said:
Asha the western lowland gorilla, successfully gave birth to a healthy infant on July 21 at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
22K views · 1.8K reactions | There were hushed moments of pure joy at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo this morning, as a small group of Primate World keepers and staff gathered to adore the Zoo’s newest addition: a brand-new gorilla baby bundle of joy born in the early hours of Mon., July 21, 2025. Asha, a 32-year-old critically endangered Western lowland gorilla, and her new baby seem to be doing well. The baby has hit the milestones that indicate it is strong, including nursing and clinging to its mom. “Asha is sitting and lying down with the baby and gently patting its back, which is really adorable,” Ashton Asbury, Primate World animal keeper, says. “The baby hangs onto Asha while she’s moving around and she supports it with one hand. They’re bonding really well, and we have seen her licking the baby’s head and grooming it.” First-time dad, Goma, is showing interest in the baby, too. “He seems to want to stick close to her and the baby,” Ashton says. “I heard him making happy gorilla grumbles at them, and Asha is doing a good job of showing him the baby while keeping a comfortable distance.” It has been nearly 13 years since a gorilla was born at CMZoo. This little one is Asha’s third baby and the first for silverback dad, Goma. Asha was born at CMZoo on Oct. 5, 1992. Thirty-four-year-old Goma moved to CMZoo, in 2016, on a breeding recommendation from the Western Lowland Gorilla Species Survival Plan, supported by Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited organizations, including CMZoo. Primate World is open to the public and will continue to be as long as Asha and the troop continue to do well. Asha’s care team will continue to monitor her and the baby – and the troop’s overall dynamic – and make adjustments as needed. The sex and weight of the gorilla baby are not known yet. As long as keepers observe that baby and mom are doing well, they will continue to let Asha take the lead on providing care. The baby will likely cling to Asha for the first several weeks, but will start getting to know its dad, Goma, and ‘aunt’ Kwisha (who is unrelated genetically, but grew up with Asha and had a relationship with both of her offspring), as long as Asha is comfortable. Asha is an experienced mother. She has welcomed two previous babies to the world during her time at CMZoo, both of whom now live in troops at other zoos. Although the goal is to let Asha take the lead on newborn care, her supportive team is ready to help if the need arises. As a first-time dad, Goma has been participating in training with his care team that aims to improve his comfort around the baby. Following Cheyenne Mountain Zoo tradition, the baby will be named after he or she is at least 30 days old. CMZoo will provide updates on social media channels and in newsletter updates. | Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
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Just for clarity sake - Asha has never lived at TZ. Her father was Barney, who originated from Toronto and then moved south of the border to breed.
 
 
I haven't seen it shared anywhere here, but just FYI - Johari (gorilla now at Calgary) has been physically introduced to their male Jasiri, and females Kioja and Dossi. All appears to be going as well as can be expected. All of this info can be found on Calgary's Instagram.
 
Noticed in the comments of an IG post Calgary confirming that Jasiri and Johari have been breeding upon introduction. However, she is currently on birth control until she has fully integrated smoothly with the entire troop.

Also noticed that Amani looks rather rotund. I wouldn't be shocked at all if she was pregnant by now. With Calgary's recent giraffe breeding woes though, I wouldn't be all too surprised if they're tight lipped until a calf is on the ground and doing well.
 
TheGerenuk said:
John Ball Zoo's social media has announced that pygmy hippo Penelope is expecting her first calf!
John Ball Zoo on Instagram: "If you guessed pygmy hippo, you were right! We’re thrilled to announce that Penelope is expecting her first calf—the very first for both her and Jahari! This is an exciting milestone for both Penelope and the conservation of this incredible species. These photos are all the proof you need—it’s the perfect time to visit Penelope and her perfectly round belly."
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The calf was born yesterday! It's gender has yet to be revealed.
John Ball Zoo on Instagram: "A little splash of joy has arrived at the Zoo We are overjoyed to announce the birth of our pygmy hippo calf! First-time parents Penelope and Jahari welcomed their 11-pound little one September 3, marking a historic moment as this is the first pygmy hippo calf born at the Zoo. Pygmy hippos are an endangered species with fewer than 2,500 estimated in the wild, so each birth is a vital step for conservation. Our animal care team is keeping a close eye on mom and baby as they bond behind the scenes, and both are doing well. This announcement was brought to you by @michiganfirstcu. : Zookeeper Amanda"
 
TheGerenuk said:
The calf was born yesterday! It's gender has yet to be revealed.
John Ball Zoo on Instagram: "A little splash of joy has arrived at the Zoo We are overjoyed to announce the birth of our pygmy hippo calf! First-time parents Penelope and Jahari welcomed their 11-pound little one September 3, marking a historic moment as this is the first pygmy hippo calf born at the Zoo. Pygmy hippos are an endangered species with fewer than 2,500 estimated in the wild, so each birth is a vital step for conservation. Our animal care team is keeping a close eye on mom and baby as they bond behind the scenes, and both are doing well. This announcement was brought to you by @michiganfirstcu. : Zookeeper Amanda"
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Penelope's calf is a boy.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1529074008262723
 
@kingoffreaks, in theory we have the highest likelihood that the pygmy calf is ours. We definitely own Penelope as we own both her parents and usually the first born goes to the zoo that owns the mother. However that's no guarantee. Sometimes there are other arrangements made and either the father's zoo or the zoo the baby was born at gets ownership.

When gorilla Ngozi was born we owned mother Amanda but we only got her because she was the first born girl. Her eldest younger sister Calaya when to Milwaukee (owner of dad Vip) and youngest sister Uzumma to Woodland Park (their birthplace zoo). However Armanda's actually first born was a little male who didn't survive. His father was Congo who was owned by Honolulu. Ownership went to Woodland Park. She and Vip had a second male who was also owned by Woodland Park probably because the first male didnt survive. That one didnt fair any better. There was also a stillborn female between Calaya and Uzumma and she too belonged to Woodland Park. Ownership in that case was based on sex based birth order. They are a good example of anyone could own a baby.

Point is while we most likely own Penelope's little boy thats a general custom but not a hard and fast rule. Not that it really matters because the SSP will decide where he goes his whole life. Its about genetics not ownership. The only benefit Toronto would really get is the right to approve or decline any transfers for him, if they even care. They could also trade him for something else but that happens less these days.
 
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