Meet Patty, The Louisville Zoo's Newest Western Lowland Gorilla

The Louisville Zoo has its newest family member, 11-year-old western lowland gorilla, Patty.

Patty was born at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo and heads to Louisville with a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan according to the Louisville Zoo.

According to her zookeepers, Patty is socially savvy, and likes to interact with her gorilla troop, which will now consist of silverback Casey (42), Paki (35), Kweli (40) and Kindi (8).

The western lowland gorilla is originally found in the forests of central Africa, and are considered critically endangered, possibly facing extinction if efforts are not made to protect them. Primary threats to this species include poaching, disease and habitat destruction for mining.

“Welcoming Patty to the Louisville Zoo adds an exciting new element to Gorilla Forest,” Louisville Zoo Director Dan Maloney said in a statement. “Welcoming a relatively young, unrelated female gorilla to our Zoo is quite an accomplishment and we credit her addition to the hard work of our Animal Care Team. We are eager to witness her growth, and hopefully see her successfully become a mom with male gorilla Casey soon!”

The Louisville Zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the summer through Sept. 22.