Advertisement

Cincinnati Zoo Workers Play Mom To Baby Gorilla

04:58
Download Audio
Resume
The baby gorilla, at left, is learning to hold onto the keepers in a vetro-ventral position as a mother gorilla would hold her most of the time, at this age, as opposed to swaddling her like a human baby. At right is a photo of the Cincinnati Zoo’s gorilla mom, Muke, holding her newborn Bakari in 2006, in a similar position. (Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden)
The baby gorilla, at left, is learning to hold onto the keepers in a vetro-ventral position as a mother gorilla would hold her most of the time, at this age, as opposed to swaddling her like a human baby. At right is a photo of the Cincinnati Zoo’s gorilla mom, Muke, holding her newborn Bakari in 2006, in a similar position. (Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden)

Workers at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden are suiting up in fur vests and grunting in eight-hour shifts around the clock, as they try to nurture and socialize a 5-week-old baby gorilla rejected by her mother.

The zoo has developed a specialized enclosure which allows the mature gorillas next door to hear and smell the new baby girl (named Gladys Stones), which they hope will ease her eventual transition into the zoo's gorilla community.

That won't happen for another four or five months.

The baby gorilla arrives at the Cincinnati Zoo:

Guest:

  • Ron Evans, Primate Center team leader at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, and one of Gladys' temporary human surrogate moms.

This segment aired on March 13, 2013.

Advertisement

More from Here & Now

Listen Live
Close