The new baby gorilla born at the Detroit Zoo officially has a name. After more than 3,000 votes, guests have chosen the name Usala.
Usala (Oo-sa-la) is a conservation corridor in Congo that means "Forest" in the Kikumu language.
The zoo had voting open for three days for guests at the Great Apes of Harambee exhibit. According to the zoo, the name Usala had more than 1,300 votes of the more than 3,000 cast.
Other options were:
- Lobéké (loh-BEH-KAY) – Named after a national park in Cameroon that's home to one of the world's highest densities of western lowland gorillas.
- Amateka (a-ma-TEH-kah) – Means "History" in the Kinyarwanda language.
According to zoo officials, the female was born to first-time mom Tulivu in the late evening on Sunday, July 12. The mom, baby and baby's father, Mshindi, are all doing well.
“As a first-time mom, Tulivu made this about as smooth as a pregnancy can go,” Detroit Zoo Chief Life Sciences Officer Mike Murray said in a statement. “Over her eight-and-a-half months of pregnancy, she voluntarily trained to receive routine ultrasounds through positive reinforcement, giving our veterinary team a clear window into the baby’s development the entire way.”
“To have a second gorilla born here at the Zoo, and be a half-sibling to Motema, is incredibly meaningful for our team and for this critically endangered species,” Murray said. “Every birth in an accredited zoo helps strengthen the conservation story for gorillas. This is the result of years of careful, coordinated work, and I am so proud of our entire team who worked tirelessly along the way to make this happen.”
