One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
The LA Zoo's First Baby Gorilla In 20 Years Is A Girl
Female Western Lowland Gorilla, N'djia, and her newborn baby girl. (Photo by Jamie Pham/Courtesy L.A. Zoo)
The Los Angeles Zoo announced its first gorilla birth in 20 years just a few weeks ago, but until now the gender wasn't known.
First-time mother N'djia, 25, gave birth to a baby girl on Jan. 18. She and the father, 32-year-old Kelly, are Western Lowland gorillas, a species that has become critically endangered because of illegal hunting, dwindling habitat and susceptibility to diseases like the Ebola virus, according to the zoo. The birth is part of a species survival program.
For the next four to six months, the baby girl will grow rapidly from her original birth weight of about 3 pounds. If you're lucky, you might be able to catch a glimpse of her clinging to mom while nursing and observing her surroundings.
LEARN MORE:
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
