ATLANTA — Zoo Atlanta said its oldest gorilla, Machi, has died and another gorilla, Lulu, is expecting an infant.
“It is part of the life of any zoological organization to both mourn the passing of senior individuals and to look forward to the arrival of new infants. Both are especially resonant in the case of a critically endangered species,” Gina Ferrie, PhD, vice president of collections and conservation, said.
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Zoo Atlanta said Machi was 50 and had chronic osteoarthritis that had become increasingly severe. A recent physical exam also found other serious health concerns with a poor prognosis, and the zoo said care teams decided to humanely euthanize her on Sept. 13.
Machi was born in 1976 at the Emory National Primate Research Center and came to Zoo Atlanta at age 12 with her mother, Choomba, as part of the original group of gorillas that arrived when The Ford African Rain Forest opened in 1988.
The zoo said Machi was first part of a troop led by the late Ozzie and later joined Willie B.’s group in the 1990s.
She was the mother of two of Ozzie’s offspring and the mother of Willie B. Jr., the only son of Willie B.
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In 2013, Machi moved to another Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited organization.
She returned to Atlanta in 2021, and at the time of her death, the zoo said she was one of two living members of its original gorilla group along with 41-year-old Kuchi.
A necropsy will be done through the zoo’s partnership with the University of Georgia Zoo and Exotic Animal Pathology Service in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Preliminary results should be available in several weeks.
Zoo Atlanta also announced that Lulu, a 27-year-old member of Taz’s troop, is expecting an infant.
The zoo said Lulu’s pregnancy was confirmed by ultrasound in June 2026. The infant is expected during the holiday season and will be Lulu’s third and the 27th gorilla born at Zoo Atlanta.
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Lulu was born in 1999 and is the youngest offspring of Willie B. The zoo said her mother is Kuchi, which makes her a granddaughter of Ozzie.
“Machi was a beloved and extraordinary individual and an irreplaceable part of our story. At the same time, Lulu will bring a new life to the gorilla population – an event that is always worth celebrating,” Ferrie said.
Zoo Atlanta said western lowland gorillas are classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The zoo said wild populations have dropped 60% more than 25 years, with declines of as much as 90% in some parts of western Africa.
The zoo supports AZA Gorilla SAFE and has supported The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund for more than 30 years by providing pro bono headquarters space and financial resources. Zoo Atlanta has also supported the Goualougo Triangle Ape Project through its Mabel Dorn Reeder Conservation Endowment Fund.
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