Baby Gorilla Born at LP Zoo

By Rachelle Bowden in Miscellaneous on Sep 28, 2004 2:22PM

With over 40 births, the Lincoln Park Zoo has one of the highest rates of lowland gorilla births in the world. And they just added one more - the first to be born in the Regenstein Center for African Apes, which just opened on July 4.

It is unknown whether the 5 lb. baby is a boy or a girl because its mother, Bahati, 14, is holding the infant and won't let people near. The baby's father is 24-year-old JoJo (whoa! robbing the cradle!). Bahati showed no signs of labor when the zookeepers closed the ape house on Sunday so they think that the baby was born early Monday morning. It's likely that JoJo was present, as well as JoJo's entire family, 5 other adult females and a 9-month-old male, Azizi. One of the reasons Lincoln Park has had such a successfull breeding program is that they keep the apes in stable, natural family groupings and in surroundings that the animals feel comfortable in.

The new baby is so cute and can already be seen in the ape house at the zoo. We really have to get up there to see it. Azizi is only 9 months, we're sure he's insanely cute too. And don't forget about the new baby gorilla that was born at the Brookfield Zoo.