New baby arrives at local zoo

  • 2014-08-16
Asha, a Western Lowland gorilla who lives at the Cincinnati Zoo, gave birth to her first baby on Monday, August 4.

According to a press release dated that same day, the baby was born at 8.15 am, and weighed about five pounds. Thane Maynard, the zoo’s executive director, said the baby appeared strong, healthy, and active, and staff members were very pleased with Asha’s behavior in her role as a new mother.

Asha’s motherly instincts have made it impossible for the zoo to determine the baby’s sex as yet; she is holding it so close in cleaning and nursing it that no one can make that determination. The baby’s father is Jomo, a silverback gorilla who also lives at the zoo. Jomo has other offspring; his son Bakari was born in August, 2006.

There are now nine Western Lowland gorillas at the Cincinnati Zoo. The new baby is the 49th born here, continuing the zoo’s long history working with this species. This latest birth, however, marks the restart of the zoo’s gorilla propagation efforts, which were suspended for eight years.

Zoo officials could work with a postcard printing company to create colorful pictures for Mailing to city residents, announcing the birth and inviting them to visit the zoo, while also highlighting the gorilla-centric work carried out at the zoo.


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