COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Excitement is in the air at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, as staff, keepers, and social media users are enjoying the latest addition to the zoo.
During the early morning hours of Monday, Asha, a Western Lowland Gorilla, welcomed her third child since being at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo since her birth in 1992. Staff and keepers plan to let Asha continue to care for the baby, as they have been bonding well, and the baby appears strong and healthy.
The baby's father is 34-year-old Goma, a first-time dad! Staff have said the first meeting went well, and Goma has taken an interest in the baby.
“He seems to want to stick close to her and the baby,” said Ashton Asbury, Primate World animal keeper, “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.”
Goma came to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in 2016 on a breeding recommendation from the Western Lowland Gorilla Species Survival Plan, and nearly 10 years later, that recommendation has paid off. According to the zoo, this is the first gorilla to be born there in 13 years.
The baby has not been named, and it will come around 30 days after its birth. The current sex and weight of the baby are unknown, so stay tuned with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on social media to get the latest updates!
“Asha is sitting and lying down with the baby and gently patting its back, which is really adorable,” Ashton Asbury, Primate World animal keeper, says. “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.”
In the coming weeks, they say the baby will like to cling to Asha for most of its time before getting to know its dad, Goma, and begin to interact with more members of the troop.
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