News and Stories

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

CINCINNATI, OH (September 22, 2025) – Twelve-year-old gorilla Gladys is a mom! A healthy baby boy was born on Saturday, September 20, at 8:32 a.m. Mom and baby are doing well. This is Gladys’ first baby and the 51st gorilla born at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.  

Photos and videos  

A 24/7 baby birth watch began four weeks prior to the birth conducted by the Zoo Volunteer Observers (ZVOs) via remote camera.  

“The ZVOs reported signs of labor throughout the early hours on Saturday morning, and she was in active labor when I arrived at 5:30 a.m.” said Cincinnati Zoo’s head gorilla keeper Ashley Ashcraft. “A few hours later, keepers had the honor of quietly observing her birth!  She has been very attentive to the baby and is doing all the right things. We are so proud of her.” 

First time moms don’t always know what to do. Gladys came to the Cincinnati Zoo from the Gladys Porter Zoo when she was a baby because her mom’s maternal instincts did not kick in. Gladys needed human surrogates and a potential surrogate gorilla mom.  Cincinnati Zoo had both, so that’s why the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP) chose Cincinnati to be her home. Gladys has been a favorite of visitors, staff, and all who follow @CincinnatiZoo on social media since she arrived in 2013.  

Gladys made headlines again last year when she received the world’s first 3D-printed titanium cast after breaking her arm in a scuffle with her troop. She made a full recovery, thanks to the excellent care she received from our vet team and keeper staff.   

The father of the baby, 23-year-old silverback gorilla Mbeli, is also a first-time parent.  He has done a great job leading the family group and will remain fairly hands off but will continue to provide protection for Gladys and the baby within their social group.  

Mom and baby are bonding behind the scenes.  The keeper team is discussing names and looking for suggestions from the public.  Those can be submitted on the Zoo’s social media channels. 

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 Hoffman Coexistence Impact Fellow, who is working on developing ecotourism programs for community engagement and increasing benefits from protecting the forests and coexisting with gorillas.  

While Gladys and her baby are bonding behind the scenes, visitors can see other 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.