It's a girl! The Dallas Zoo's first baby gorilla to be born in 20 years has been named.
Born on June 25, 2018 to mom Hope and dad Subira, Saambili is named after a female gorilla caretaker, Aldegonde Saambili, who works for Dallas Zoo’s conservation partner, GRACE (Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center), in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“It’s taken the Dallas Zoo 20 years to welcome a baby gorilla and we wanted her name to have real meaning,” said Keith Zdrojewski, Dallas Zoo’s Curator of Primates and Carnivores. “GRACE is so close to my heart; the caretakers there are some of the most selfless people I’ve ever met."
In the weeks since Saambili was born, zookeepers gave Hope and her newborn space and time to bond, which is why the baby's and name wasn't revealed until now.
