The Little Rock Zoo is celebrating the birth of a new baby gorilla.
The western lowland gorilla baby was born Wednesday, and in a news release Friday, zoo officials said the mom and infant are doing well. The pair can reportedly be seen periodically throughout the day in the Great Apes exhibit. The baby, whose sex has not been determined, is the third born at the zoo and the first since 2012, zoo Director Susan Altrui said Friday in a statement.
The little ape has not yet been named. "The Little Rock Zoo is thrilled at the birth of our third baby gorilla," Altrui said. "This birth contributes to the conservation of a very critically endangered animal, and we're proud to support conservation work."
Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered because of poaching and disease, zoo officials said, and their numbers have declined more than 60 percent over the past 20 years.
NW News on 06/23/2018