L.A. Zoo's First Gorilla Baby In Over Two Decades Is Both Adorable And Clingy

Feb 17, 2020 by apost team

The Los Angeles Zoo has just released pictures of their new baby gorilla. It’s a girl, and she is the first baby gorilla to be born at the facility in over 20 years. While the baby has not yet been named, guests can occasionally catch a glimpse of the adorable baby clinging to her mother.

The baby was born on January 18 to Kelly and N’djia, and she is the latter’s first child. N’djia is 25 years old, and her mate Kelly is 32. N'djia is a western lowland gorilla, which are critically endangered, according to a press release by the zoo.

The zookeepers weren’t able to confirm the baby’s sex until February 10 according to a social media post by the zoo, as the baby is extremely clingy and sticks close to her mother. Some of the released pictures do indeed show the pair snuggling each other.

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The zoo’s director of animal programs, Beth Schaefer, commented, “The last few weeks have been so exciting watching first-time mom N’djia with her new baby. Having gorillas in our zoo is so important so we can connect Angelenos to the amazing biodiversity that exists on this planet and to help ensure that these beings will never go extinct," reports Patch.com.

The zoo added that the baby gorilla will stay close to her mother for the next few months as she nurses. Her father Kelly will keep an eye on both mother and daughter, and the rest of the troop or extended family will keep their distance as everybody adjusts to the newborn.

A gorilla’s pregnancy lasts around eight or nine months. Since gorillas are herbivores, their digestive tract needs to break down the leafy plants they like to eat. Consequently, gorillas have potbellies that make detecting pregnancy in a gorilla difficult. Zoo staff, however, have found that the home pregnancy tests used by humans also work on gorillas, reports The Atlantic in a similar story. A baby gorilla usually weighs around four pounds at birth, and the average female gorilla will weigh about 200 pounds when mature. Males grow to be significantly larger, according to Infoplease.

When you see the mother and baby together, what feelings does it inspire in you? Do you have an equally cute baby animal at your local zoo? Tell us your comments in the section below and be certain to suggest this story to your friends and family on social media for a daily dose of cuteness.