Meet the baby: Fort Worth Zoo welcomes western lowland gorilla to the troop
The Fort Worth Zoo welcomed its newest member of the primate family on Sunday, according to a press release from the zoo.
The male western lowland gorilla, born to parents Gracie and Elmo, is the second one of that species to be born at the zoo. His older brother Gus was born there in 2016.
The baby, who hasn’t been named yet, is staying close to Gracie and can be seen in both indoor and outdoor areas of the World of Primates habitat.
According to a tweet from the zoo, the new little one weighed between 4 and 5 pounds at birth. The public can meet him Nov. 19 at the 30th Anniversary Festival.
There’s more BABY BOY joy here at the Zoo: we are thrilled to announce the birth of our second-ever western lowland gorilla! The littlest ape was born early Sunday morning, Nov. 6 and is estimated to weigh between 4 and 5 pounds, which is normal for infant gorillas. pic.twitter.com/8h9p6stDwZ
— Fort Worth Zoo (@FortWorthZoo) November 9, 2022
Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Even though they boast the largest population of all gorilla subspecies, poaching and diseases like the deadly Ebola virus have reduced their numbers by more than 60% in the last 20 to 25 years.
