The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden recently welcomed a baby gorilla. Now, you could be the one to name him.
Fan-favorite gorilla Gladys gave birth to a “healthy” baby boy Sept. 20, the zoo said in a release. The newborn is the 51st gorilla born at the Cincinnati Zoo and and the first in 10 years.
Ensuring a smooth birth was a team effort. A group of zoo volunteer observers watched Gladys 24/7 via a remote camera for signs of birth during the past four weeks.
The observers reported Gladys showed signs of labor in the early hours of Sept. 20. She was in active labor when Cincinnati Zoo’s head gorilla keeper Ashley Ashcraft arrived at 5:30 a.m.
“A few hours later, keepers had the honor of quietly observing her birth!” Ashcraft said in the release.
Gladys “has been very attentive to the baby and is doing all the right things,” she said.
Twelve-year-old Gladys and the baby’s father, 23-year-old silverback gorilla Mbeli, are both first-time parents. Mbeli will remain “fairly” hands off but will provide protection for Gladys and the baby within their social group, the zoo said.
You can’t see the baby yet, but you can help name him!
Gladys and her baby are not currently available for viewing. The two are bonding “behind the scenes.”
While visitors wait, they can send name ideas for the baby to the Zoo’s social media channels.
What to know about Gladys
Gladys arrived at the Cincinnati Zoo in 2013. She was transferred from the Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas because her mom’s maternal instincts did not kick in, the zoo said. Gladys needed human surrogates and a potential surrogate gorilla mom, and the Cincinnati Zoo had both.
She made headlines last year when she received the world’s first 3D-printed titanium cast after breaking her arm in a scuffle. She made a full recovery.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Zoo announces birth of baby gorilla. Now, you can help name him
Reporting by Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
