Brooklyn Zoo Welcomes Two New Baby Gorillas

New York’s Bronx Zoo recently welcomed the addition of two newly born western lowland gorillas.

In March Julia a 33 year old girl gave birth whilst a month later Tuti a 19 year old also gave birth. Both of the new born babies share the same father Ernie a 31 year old. Both mothers have successfully raised babies prior to this with Julia having given birth to two babies and Tuti one.

The new arrivals are part of a cooperative breeding program that is designed to enhance the genetic viability of zoo animals. The babies are the first gorillas to be born at the zoo since 2006. Since the Bronx Zoo opened the Congo Gorilla Forest exhibit in 1991 15 babies have been born and a total of 50 gorillas have been born at the zoo since 1972.

There are 20 gorillas currently housed at the zoo forming the largest group of these primates in North America.

The gestation period for a gorilla is 8.5 months and typically babies weigh between 4 to 5 pounds when they are born. The mother gorilla holds on to its baby until it reaches 4 months old and the little ones begin to eat solid food at about 6 months though they continue to nurse until 3 or 4 years of age.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists Western lowland gorillas as critically endangered. In the wild gorillas reside in tropical and sub tropical forests in equatorial Africa. Gorillas tend to be mostly vegetarian with a diet of plants, fruits and some insects. Whilst they spend most of the time of the ground they are also superb climbers.

The gorilla is the world’s largest primate. An adult male can weigh anywhere between 350 to 450 pounds and can reach 6 feet tall when it stands. Adult females weigh between 150 to 250 pounds and can stand up to 4 feet tall.

The gender of the babies is currently not known but they will be on display at the zoo during the spring. Whether visitors will get the chance to see them on any given day depends on the weather and other factors.