Fort Worth

Meet the baby: Fort Worth Zoo welcomes western lowland gorilla to the troop

A baby gorilla snuggles with his mother.
The newest baby gorilla born at the Fort Worth Zoo stays close to his mother, Gracie, while getting used to other members of his troop. Fort Worth Zoo

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.

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.

A mother gorilla holds her baby in one arm while looking down at him.
The newest member of the World of Primates at the Fort Worth Zoo stays close to his mother, Gracie, as he gets acclimated to his surroundings. Fort Worth Zoo

This story was originally published November 9, 2022 at 5:13 PM.

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Harriet Ramos
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Harriet Ramos covers crime and other breaking news for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
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