32-year-old gorilla gives birth to ‘bundle of joy' at CO zoo. See it cling to mom

Miami Herald

4 days ago

A gorilla had her third baby at a Colorado zoo, and keepers are calling it a 'bundle of joy.'
The zoo was filled with 'pure joy' on July 21, after welcoming the newest baby gorilla, according to a Facebook post by the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
The baby's mom, 32-year-old Asha, a critically endangered Western lowland gorilla, is bonding with her new baby, and the pair 'seem to be doing well,' zookeepers said.
'Asha is sitting and lying down with the baby and gently patting its back, which is really adorable,' Ashton Asbury, the Primate World animal keeper, said in the post. 'The baby hangs onto Asha while she's moving around and she supports it with one hand. They're bonding really well, and we have seen her licking the baby's head and grooming it.'
Even first-time dad Goma, 34, 'is showing interest in the baby, too,' zookeepers said.
'He seems to want to stick close to her and the baby,' Asbury said. 'I heard him making happy gorilla grumbles at them, and Asha is doing a good job of showing him the baby while keeping a comfortable distance.'
Asha was born at the zoo in 1992, and Goma came in 2016 as part of the Western Lowland Gorilla Species Survival Plan, zookeepers said.
The baby, who hasn't been named and whose sex hasn't been identified, is already meeting milestones, like 'nursing and clinging to its mom,' zookeepers said.
Asha has had two other babies at the Colorado Springs-based zoo, and the 'goal is to let Asha take the lead on newborn care,' zookeepers said.
The baby will 'likely cling to Asha for the first several weeks' as it gets to know their dad, zookeepers said.
Facebook users rushed to the comments to congratulate Asha, with one person saying, 'SO PRECIOUS.'
'This is so beautiful,' another wrote.
'That baby is cuuuuuttttteeeee! **squeel!*' another said.
Colorado Springs is about a 70-mile drive southeast from Denver.