New gorilla born at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

Baby gorilla makes seven total at zoo

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A special delivery arrived at the zoo just in time for Mother's Day. The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens welcomed a baby gorilla this weekend.

For a while, it was hard to find mama Madini in her habitat at the zoo, creeping in and out of her cave. The western lowland gorilla avoided the camera like the plague. But after a little patient watching, News4Jax finally got a glimpse of the newborn gorilla with the proud mother.

The infant was born Saturday at 8:35 p.m. It's the second gorilla infant at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, bringing the number of gorillas in the group to seven.

"We're looking forward to two young gorillas three months apart growing up together -- that's going to be pretty amazing," said Craig Miller, the curator of mammals at the Jacksonville Zoo.

And just like her baby's birth, the mom is keeping everyone in the dark about about her little one's gender, though her child does appear healthy.

"You can get close to it, but it all depends on the position mom's holding it in, so we should be able to figure out what sex it is sometime soon, we believe," Miller said.


About the Author:

Emmy-nominated journalist Kristin Cason joined the News 6 team in June 2016.