Daily Zoo Animal: #13, Eastern Lowland Gorilla, "Kitombe"

Western Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla gorilla

Between 6 and 8 million years there lived an animal that whose descendants would include both gorillas and humans. Gorillas are the largest existing primates, with big males like Kitombe weighing up to 400 pounds. Gorillas eat plant material and, occasionally, insects. They are the least arboreal of the great apes, spending most of their time foraging on the forest floor.

Kitombe is one of two three males at Franklin Park Zoo; he was born in 1986 at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. He is the father of Kira Kimani, who was born earlier this year. The whole group has their own website with information about each individual.

On this day in 365 Urban Species: Evening primrose.