The Fort Worth Zoo has announced the zoo’s second-ever birth of a Western lowland gorilla, born on Nov. 6 to the parents Gracie and Elmo.
The ape has yet to be named and is staying close to his mother as he meets other troop members and gets acclimated to his surroundings in the Zoo’s World of Primates habitat. The zoo says the pair continues to bond but is also fully integrated into the troop, mimicking family dynamics in the wild.
The baby gorilla is estimated to weigh between 4 and 5 pounds, which is normal for infant gorillas.
Western lowland gorillas can be distinguished from other gorilla subspecies by their slightly smaller size, their brown-grey coats and their auburn chests. A small white tuft of hair on their rump distinguishes the infants up to four years old. The white patch helps the mother keep track of the infant and assists other group members in identifying the gorilla as an infant.
According to Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, gorillas are the largest of the great apes, but the western lowland gorilla is the smallest of the subspecies. Males are much larger than females. Adult males weigh an average of 300 pounds (136.1 kilograms) and up to 500 pounds (226.8 kilograms). They stand up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall.
Zoo Fun
Western lowland gorillas are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to hunting and disease. Gorillas also have an alarmingly low reproductive rate, so even if there was a drastic decline in hunting and disease, it could take decades for population recovery to occur in optimistic scenarios.
The baby gorilla can be seen in both indoor and outdoor areas of the habitat at various times during the day, which will be dictated by weather conditions and his activity level.
Zoo attendees will have a chance to meet the new baby at the zoo's 30th Anniversary Festival Saturday, Nov. 19. For more details visit the zoo's website.
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