Nature & Environment

Pair of Western Lowland Gorillas Born at Bronx Zoo (Video)

Kathleen Lees
First Posted: Apr 25, 2014 11:12 AM EDT

The Bronx Zoo recently welcomed a pair of Western lowland gorillas.

Nineteen-year-old gorilla Tuti gave birth on March 10, following 33-year-old Julia who gave birth on April 17 at the zoo. Both babies share the same father: Thirty-one-year-old, Ernie.

At this time, the genders of the babies have not yet been determined, according to The New York Daily News.

The new babies weigh in at 4 and 5 pounds. However, they will grow to be between 350 and 450 pounds if male. If female, they'll hit around 150 to 250 pounds, according to Time.

Gorilla's gestation period is typically around 8.5 months. Mothers will hold their babies close until the 4 month mark, according to Live Science. At about 6 months, baby gorillas will begin to start eating solid foods. However, they will also continue nursing for up to 3 to 4 years.

This group of gorillas is critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). As these guys are the largest primates in the world, they typically roam the tropical and subtropical forests of equatorial Africa, living off of a mostly vegetarian diet. And of course, they like to spend a lot of their time hanging around in trees.

Want to learn more about these baby gorillas? Check out this video, courtesy of YouTube.

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