Type of place
Habitat
Area
Blue zone
Status
Open

Our Gorilla Kingdom brings the African rainforest to the heart of London. You’ll be able to meet Africa’s most exciting residents, featuring our troop of western lowland gorillas. This is one encounter you’ll be sure to remember.

When you step into their habitat you can first explore our African aviary, home to a breeding pair of pink pigeons, which are down to just 400 individuals left in the wild. Our Gorilla Kingdom provides clear views of their specially designed private island and indoor gymnasium, where you can get to know each member of our gorilla family. 

In January 2024 we also welcomed a new arrival to our troop! Baby was born to mum Mjuuku, and is yet to be named and sexed although will be soon. Look out for them on your next visit.

Gorilla baby at the zoo

Gorilla facts

Gorilla eating at London Zoo
Gorilla gorilla gorilla

Western lowland gorilla

Gorillas are the world's largest primate, weighing up to 200kg. They share 98.4% of their DNA with humans, and all four subspecies of gorilla subspecies are critically endangered.

Kiburi 

Kiburi is a relaxed and confident young silverback gorilla, born in 2004 at Hannover Zoo. He loves foraging and finding the perfect stick to extricate yoghurt from his feeder. Kiburi weighs a massive 192kg, and is the latest arrival to the group, having arrived at the Zoo in 2022. 

Effie

Effie is our most playful and cheeky female, she was born in 1993 at Copenhagen Zoo, and is well-known in the Zoo for her huge appetite. She arrived with us in 2007, and her favourite thing to do is chase pigeons. Effie loves her food, and will eat everyone else's if she gets the chance! 

Effie the western lowland gorilla eating some leafy greens at Gorilla Kingdom London Zoo
Effie, a western lowland gorilla at London Zoo, sitting in the grass holding half an orange pumpkin in one hand while the other hand is at her mouth, covered in pumpkin seeds

Mjukuu

Nicknamed 'Jookie', Mjukuu (Ma-joo-koo) was born in 1999 at Chessington Zoo, she arrived in London in 2008 and is now our dominant female. As the dominant female, she takes the larger share of any food. Mjukuu gave birth to Alika in 2014 and become a surrogate mother to her son Gernot in 2015.

Mjukuu the western lowland gorilla at London Zoo
Mjukuu the western lowland gorilla eating at Gorilla kingdom

Gernot

Gernot may be a 'mummy's boy' now, but one day he hopes to be a big silverback just like his Dad. He was born in 2015 and raised by Mjukuu, but his biological parents are Effie and Kumbuka.  Gernot can be very playful and he enjoys rolling about all over the place.

Mjukuu and Gernot, mother and baby gorilla at London Zoo
Gernot the western lowland gorilla at London Zoo
Left, Gernot as a baby with surrogate mother Mjukuu

Alika 

Alika can often be seen walking and climbing around her enclosure, but always stays close by to mum Mjukuu. She's the older sister of Gernot, and was born a year earlier in 2014, to the same father, Kumbuka. 

 

Western lowland gorilla Alika enjoying an ice lolly on the hottest day of the year
Gorilla with Very Hungry Caterpillar themed enrichment

Gorillas at the Zoo

  • Western lowland gorilla Mjukuu holds newborn at London Zoo
    18 January 2024

    Critically endangered gorilla born at London Zoo

    The tiny infant was born at our conservation zoo to mum Mjukuu at 9:34am on Wednesday 17 January 2024, following an approximately eight-and-a-half-month long pregnancy.

  • Guy the silverback gorilla at London Zoo
    Animal icons

    Guy the Gorilla

    When sparrows entered his enclosure, he would scoop them up gently and peer at them before letting them go.

  • Gorilla eating at London Zoo
    Gorilla gorilla gorilla

    Gorilla facts

    Gorillas are the world's largest primate, weighing up to 200kg. They share 98.4% of their DNA with humans, and all four subspecies of gorilla subspecies are critically endangered.

  • Alika the gorilla at Gorilla Kingdom London Zoo
    Get closer to wildlife

    Feed our gorillas

    Feed Kiburi and the troop their favourite foods, and enter our VIP area and see our gorillas up close as our zookeeper feeds them.

  • A portrait of the gorilla 'Meng'. London Zoo, June 1939.
    Our original gorilla house

    Round house

    Designed for gorillas by Berthold Lubetkin, the building was home to our first gorillas Mok and Moina.