CLEVELAND — A baby boy gorilla was born at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on Oct. 26. He was born to his mother Nneka, 23, and his father Mokolo, 34.
The zoo provided a sneak peek of the baby gorilla. Watch it the media player below:
According to the zoo, when Nneka did not show appropriate maternal care, the troop’s eldest female, Fredrika, 47, who herself has raised four infants, instinctively took over maternal care of the newborn.
Visitors at the zoo will be able to see the baby daily at the Primate, Cat and Aquatics building between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The public will be able to take part in naming the gorilla, thanks to a partnership the zoo made with CrossCountry Mortgage.
“We’re thrilled to announce the birth of this gorilla, the first in our history, as we also look ahead towards the future at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo,” said Cleveland Metroparks CEO Brian M. Zimmerman. “Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has been an international leader in gorilla research, care and management and our newly announced multi-year partnership with CrossCountry Mortgage will bring new engagement and other exciting opportunities to our zoo as well as all of Cleveland Metroparks.”
This is the first time a gorilla has been born at the zoo in its 139-year history.
