In 2022, Mary and her daughter, Pele, arrived at Hogle Zoo following a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP). The infant’s father and troop silverback, Husani (34), has been a Hogle Zoo resident since 2010. This will be Husani’s third offspring, following the birth of Georgia in 2020 to Jabali, and Addo in 2024 to Pele.

Mary has experienced successful pregnancies and pregnancy loss in the past, which has helped inform the care she receives during her current pregnancy. Her prenatal care includes participating in voluntary training and ultrasounds that allow her care team to observe the infant’s bone development and limb movement.

Given Mary’s history, Hogle Zoo has prepared for multiple outcomes, including training sessions with the troop’s experienced mothers, Jabali and Pele, to reinforce maternal behaviors. To prepare for the birth, the animal care team has added extra hay bedding to the gorilla habitat and is watching for signs of labor.

— Utah’s Hogle Zoo

Volaris launches new nonstop service between Guadalajara and Salt Lake City

Volaris continues to expand its international network in the United States with the launch of a new nonstop route between Guadalajara, Mexico, and Salt Lake City, Utah. The new service to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) will begin operations on June 1, with three weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Tickets will be available for purchase starting Tuesday, Feb. 3.

This new route marks an important milestone for Volaris as it becomes the airline’s first-ever service to the state of Utah and introduces Salt Lake City as a brand-new destination in its growing U.S. network.

“Volaris has a solid reputation in the marketplace for offering ultra-low-cost flights to Mexico,” said Bill Wyatt, executive director, Salt Lake City International Airport. “The addition of this nonstop service between SLC and Guadalajara is a welcome option for our passengers seeking alternative flights at value fares.”

With this addition, Volaris continues expanding its U.S. footprint by adding service to new airports and states, with Salt Lake City, Utah becoming its latest destination. Volaris now serves 24 airports across the United States, more than any other Latin American carrier.

The Guadalajara-Salt Lake City route will provide travelers with direct access between two dynamic regions, supporting travel for visiting friends and relatives, business travelers and tourists, while strengthening connectivity between western Mexico and the Mountain West region of the United States.

“This new route represents an important step in Volaris’ connectivity strategy in the United States,” said Enrique Beltranena, President and CEO of Volaris. “Salt Lake City and the state of Utah become new markets for our airline, and this connection from Guadalajara reflects our commitment to opening new gateways, expanding low-cost air travel and bringing more communities together across borders.”

— SLC International Airport

UDOT and DPS to debut hard-hitting distracted driving ad on Super Bowl Sunday

The Utah Department of Transportation and Utah Department of Public Safety’s Zero Fatalities program will debut a provocative new local Super Bowl ad this weekend with a blunt message for drivers: checking your phone while driving can kill.

The commercial portrays a father just prior to the moment of impact narrating the life-altering consequences his family will face because of his choice to check a text and look away from the road. It ends with a bold message: “Your choices have consequences.”

The ad was created to confront drivers with the real-world impact of a split-second decision: checking a text message, opening an app or glancing at a notification while behind the wheel.

“This ad is a wake up call,” UDOT Public Relations Director John Gleason said. “We want everyone to see the very real consequences of our choices behind the wheel. For many drivers, checking a phone is automatic, and this ad shows how quickly that impulse can turn into tragedy.”

Distracted driving remains one of the leading causes of serious crashes in Utah. According to Zero Fatalities data, hundreds of crashes each year involve drivers who were using a phone or otherwise not paying full attention to the road.

For nearly 20 years, Zero Fatalities has conducted public opinion and safety culture research to assess attitudes and measure the frequency of dangerous behaviors on the road. In all of these studies, Utahns show that they want safety, and they perceive themselves as safe drivers, yet nearly 50% admit to engaging in the very unsafe behaviors they know are causing crashes and fatalities.

Officials say the goal of the campaign is not to scare people for the sake of shock, but to change behavior.

“This is a dramatization using actors, but the scenario happens far too often on our roads,” Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Cameron Roden said. “Every driver has the power to prevent a tragedy like this. The message is simple: put the phone down and focus on driving.”

The Super Bowl was chosen as the debut platform because it reaches families watching together and provides an opportunity for conversations about safe driving. It will also appear through the weeks of the Winter Olympics.

Viewers can watch the ad and learn more about distracted driving prevention at zerofatalities.com.

— Utah Department of Transportation and Utah Department of Public Safety