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Western Gorilla
Gorilla gorilla
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (after Colin M. L. Burnett) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderPrimates
- FamilyHominidae (Great Apes)
- GenusGorilla (Gorillas)
- SpeciesGorilla gorilla (Western Gorilla)
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
71 Verified sightings at Odzala-Kokoua National Park From 2019 to 2026
71 In 1 park
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
Completed
About the Western Gorilla
The western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) is a great ape found in Africa, one of two species of the hominine genus Gorilla. Large and robust with males weighing around 168 kilograms (370 lb), the species is found in a region of midwest Africa, geographically isolated from the eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei). The hair of the western species is significantly lighter in colour.
The western gorilla is the second largest living primate after the eastern gorilla. Two subspecies are recognised: the western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) is found in most of West Africa; while the Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) is limited to a smaller range in the north at the border of Cameroon and Nigeria. Both subspecies are critically endangered.
A formal description of the species was provided by Thomas Savage in 1847, allying the new species to an earlier description of the chimpanzee as Troglodytes gorilla in a group of eastern simians he referred to as "orangs". The author selected the specific epithet for the name given by Hanno to "wild men" he had noted on the east coast of Africa, presumed by Savage to be a species of orang.
The population is recognised as two... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Western Gorilla in Odzala-Kokoua National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Odzala-Kokoua National Park | 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disney's Animal Kingdom | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Busch Gardens Tampa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | SeaWorld San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Pairi Daiza | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 6 | National Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Shedd Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | ZooParc de Beauval | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 9 | Denver Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Natura Artis Magistra | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 11 | Dublin Zoo | 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 12 | Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | California Academy of Sciences | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Lisbon Oceanarium | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 16 | North Carolina Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | Cabarceno Natural Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 18 | Espace zoologique de La Boissière-du-Doré | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 19 | výzkumný chov jelenů | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 20 | Zoo Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 21 | San Diego Zoo Safari Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 22 | Werribee Open Range Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 23 | Al Ain Zoo | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | |
| 24 | Safaripark Beekse Bergen | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 25 | Toronto Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 26 | Taipei Zoo | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 27 | Port Lympne Wild Animal Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 28 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 29 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 30 | Longleat Safari and Adventure Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 31 | Zoological Garden of Belo Horizonte | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 32 | Kansas City Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 33 | Brookfield Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 34 | Givskud Zoo | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 35 | Shanghai Zoo | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 36 | Sedgwick County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 37 | Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 38 | Milwaukee County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 39 | Cheyenne Mountain Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 40 | Orana Wildlife Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 41 | Los Angeles Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 42 | Oakland Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 43 | Dallas Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 44 | National Zoological Garden of South Africa | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 45 | Toledo Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 46 | Detroit Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 47 | Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 48 | Louisville Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 49 | Guadalajara Zoo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 50 | Audubon Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Closest Relatives at Odzala-Kokoua National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Western Gorilla in Odzala-Kokoua National Park?
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Western Gorilla sighting in Odzala-Kokoua National Park on a given day, based on 71 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 32 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Western Gorilla in Odzala-Kokoua National Park?
September
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Western Gorilla in Odzala-Kokoua National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April, the lowest month. That is one of Odzala-Kokoua National Park's wettest months, with about 190 mm of rain against 50 mm in January.
What time of day is best to see a Western Gorilla?
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Gorilla sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Where else can you see a Western Gorilla?
Only Odzala-Kokoua National Park, in our data
Odzala-Kokoua National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Western Gorilla sightings: about 50% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Where does the Western Gorilla sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Gorilla is recorded against all the mammals logged in Odzala-Kokoua National Park (71 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
