Just in time for "Zoo Babies" at the Cincinnati Zoo, the three-month-old Western Lowland gorilla named Gladys got to explore her new home for the first time in public Tuesday.
Kate Olukalns, Zoo Wild Encounters Coordinator, says over the course of the next few months, Gladys will be gradually introduced to the other gorillas, including several potential mother surrogates.
Currently, Gladys is being handled by a team of keepers who bottle-feed her and interact with her while wearing fur suits to encourage the idea of bonding with other gorillas.
Gladys was born at the Gladys Porter Zoo on January 29. Her mother didn’t respond well and rejected the infant. Keepers stepped in to raise the infant until a new home could be found.
