The Dallas Zoo is welcoming its second baby gorilla born in the last year, a zoo spokesperson said Wednesday.
Megan, a 13-year-old critically endangered western lowland gorilla, delivered the baby early the morning on March 7, the zoo said.
The zoo said this is Megan's first time raising a baby, and that she has been attentive. The baby has nursed often and kept a strong grip on Megan.
The new baby is the half-sibling of 9-month-old Saambili, marking the first time the Dallas Zoo has had two baby gorillas simultaneously in 50 years.
"Gorilla conservation is a huge part of Dallas Zoo's mission – we've been unwavering in our commitment to save them in the wild, and now we’re contributing more than ever to their protection in human care," said Gregg Husdon, Dallas Zoo’s president and CEO. "We've gone from not having an infant gorilla for two decades, to now having two babies back-to-back, and it truly shows the dedication and perseverance of our world-class animal experts."
Zoologists are taking their cues from Megan, the zoo said, but will release a name and gender for the baby in the coming weeks.
The zoo has not yet announced a public debut for its youngest gorilla, but said to check its social media pages regularly to find out when you can go see the baby.
