World Gorilla Day

September 24 will also be the naming day for the youngest member of the Zoo’s gorilla population.

Zoo Atlanta joins a global awareness event in observing the third-annual World Gorilla Day on Tuesday, September 24, 2019. As an added cause for celebration, the event will also mark the naming day of the infant gorilla born to western lowland gorilla Lulu on July 24.

Help name the infant gorilla: Now through 11 p.m. EST on Friday, September 20, visit zooatlanta.org/gorillanaming to submit a name online with a donation of $5 per submission. All donations received through the naming campaign will benefit The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, the Zoo’s longtime partner in gorilla conservation.

After September 20, three names will be chosen at random to be featured in the infant’s family’s habitat in the Zoo’s Ford African Rain Forest on World Gorilla Day. At 2 p.m. on September 24, the gorillas will determine the winning name with their first choice of one of three special enrichment items.

World Gorilla Day: Zoo Atlanta was one of the first organizations to observe World Gorilla Day, which is observed annually on September 24. The date commemorates the anniversary of Karisoke Research Center, operated by The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. Established in 1967 by Dian Fossey, Karisoke is the longest running gorilla field study site dedicated to the conservation, protection and study of gorillas and their habitats in Africa. Zoo Atlanta has been a significant partner of the Fossey Fund for more than 20 years and provides headquarters space, information technology support and financial support for the organization. Over the years, the Zoo has also provided critical board leadership and program support, as well as shared scientific staff.

Partners from the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International will be on hand on World Gorilla Day to share more about their work for gorillas and human communities in Africa. Other World Gorilla Day activities will include an opportunity to sign a pledge to save gorillas; a chance to support conservation with a limited-edition World Gorilla Day button; special Gorilla Keeper Talks with the Zoo’s Primate Care Team; and an opportunity to learn more about Zoo Atlanta’s participation in the Gorillas on the Line cell phone recycling program.

Cell phone recycling admission offer: Guests who bring an old or unused cell phone to Zoo Atlanta on September 24 will enjoy $5 off general admission for up to four guests. Zoo Atlanta partners with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International and Eco-Cell to recycle cell phones and other electronics to help save wild gorillas by eliminating the demand for coltan, a rare mineral used in the production of mobile phones. Coltan is found in only a few places on Earth, one of which is the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The admission offer is valid only on Tuesday, September 24, 2019, and is not valid with any other offer or promotion. Plan a visit or learn more at zooatlanta.org. Learn more about World Gorilla Day at worldgorilladay.org.