BROOKFIELD, Ill. (AP) – A baby gorilla born a month ago at Brookfield Zoo now has a name.
The zoo outside of Chicago says the new western lowland gorilla’s name is Ali. The name, pronounced “Allie,” was chosen by a donor to the zoo.
The Chicago Tribune reports that for the next four months or so, Ali will cling to her mother, Koola, before she starts venturing a few feet away from mom.
Ali is a big deal – and not just to Koola and her father, Jojo. The zoo explains that western lowland gorillas are considered critically endangered, with experts estimating there are just 200,000 living in their native habitat in the forests of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Congo and Angola.
