News and Stories

Exciting firsts continue during the Zoo’s 150^th anniversary year

CINCINNATI, OH (April 23, 2025) Twelve-year-old gorilla Gladys has been a favorite of visitors, staff, and all who follow @CincinnatiZoo on social media since she arrived at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in 2013. Her mom at the Gladys Porter Zoo decided not to care for her, so she needed human surrogates and a potential surrogate gorilla mom.  Cincinnati Zoo had both, so that’s why the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) chose Cincinnati to be her home. More than a decade later, it’s Gladys’ turn to be a mom!

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“Gladys has been set up really well for being a first-time mom, and we are prepared for every outcome, including giving her the best maternal care and training her for different scenarios,” said Cincinnati Zoo’s head gorilla keeper Ashley Ashcraft. “We are all very excited to see everything come full circle for her. She is an exceptional gorilla.”

She’s had a breeding recommendation from the AZA’s Gorilla Special Survival Plan (SSP), the organization that manages gorilla populations in North American Zoos, for almost two years, but the Zoo’s care team put baby plans on hold after Gladys broke her arm last year. The world’s first 3D-printed titanium cast and months of physical therapy built up her strength and breeding efforts were resumed.

“Her arm has healed, and we don’t expect her to have trouble carrying a baby around,” said Ashcraft.  “Gorilla babies actually do most of the work to stay attached to mom.  They hold on tight to the fur on mom’s body, which is something we simulated for Gladys by wearing hair vests that she could grip when she was little.”

“Gladys’ journey—from being raised by human surrogates to becoming a confident member of the gorilla troop to overcoming a significant injury—is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our primate care team,” said Victoria McGee, the Zoo’s curator of primates. “They have gone above and beyond for Gladys and, obviously, will continue to do so.”

The father of the baby, 22-year-old silverback gorilla Mbeli, will also be a first-time parent.  He has done a great job leading the family group that includes Chewie (29), Gladys, Mona (10), and Elle (9) after the father to the younger girls passed away in 2022.

“As we celebrate our 150th anniversary, the news that Gladys’ is expecting is a perfect symbol of hope and progress,” said Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard. “Our Zoo has been a global leader in gorilla care and conservation for over five decades, with more than 50 gorilla births since 1970. Each new arrival builds on that legacy and reminds us why our work matters—not just for today, but for the next 150 years of wildlife conservation.”

There are about 765 gorillas in zoos worldwide, including approximately 360 that are managed by the Gorilla SSP. Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered in the wild, with fewer than 175,000 individuals.

The Cincinnati Zoo supports wild gorilla conservation efforts like the Nouabalé-Ndoki Project in the Republic of Congo with our partner, Congo-Apes. This project includes the Mbeli Bai Study, the longest running research being done with wild western lowland gorillas.  Through research, local education programs, community engagement and health interventions, the Mbeli Bai Study and other gorilla related efforts there are facilitating coexistence of gorillas and people in their shared forest. The Cincinnati Zoo is actively involved by supporting the Congolese gorilla researcher Prospere Teberd as a Coexistence Impact Fellow, who is working on developing ecotourism programs for community engagement and increasing benefits from protecting the forests and coexisting with gorillas.

Visitors can see gorillas during regular zoo hours – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.  Members get Early Entry and are welcome to enter the Zoo at 9 a.m. Memberships are on sale now – April 30, so join the Zoo at a discounted price and enjoy all the perks.