CINCINNATI — A baby gorilla being raised temporarily by humans is doing well: learning to roll over and sit up and getting ready to walk on all fours.
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden primate specialists say Gladys is in good health, developing and growing quickly with loving care from 10 humans who imitate a gorilla mom’s behavior. This week, she began supporting herself on all fours. Gladys also is teething and has begun eating some cooked foods, such as sweet potatoes and carrots, besides being bottle-fed five times a day.
“She’s at the age now where she really starts growing by leaps and bounds,” primate-team leader Ron Evans said.
She came to Cincinnati last month from Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, after she was born there on Jan. 29 to a first-time mother who showed little maternal instinct. It was decided to move her to Cincinnati’s zoo because of its extensive experience in raising gorilla babies and its availability of experienced gorilla mothers.
Human surrogates dress in black, wear furry vests and kneepads and make gorilla sounds to prepare Gladys.