Tagged: Baby Gorilla

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.

The Cincinnati Zoo's baby gorilla could have an easier time adapting to zoo workers in the nursery now that they are wearing more realistic fur vests and coats.

Donna Salyers' Fabulous Furs is providing faux fur vests and coats designed to make zoo handlers more realistic surrogates for baby Gladys. The tiny gorilla will learn to hang on to the furry outfits while in the nursery.

The Zoo says, "Vests are incredibly important to Gladys' gorilla-fication."