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Yesterday, a historic (and, dare we say, adorable) moment took place at the Detroit Zoo. 26-year-old gorilla Bandia gave birth to her first infant — marking the first gorilla birth in the zoo’s 96-year history. The young primate’s father is 36-year-old Mshindi.

“Bandia had a very smooth pregnancy, which is so important for a first-time mom,” said Tami Brightrall, associate curator of mammals for the Detroit Zoological Society, in a press release.

Bandia was pregnant for eight-and-a-half months, which is standard for gorillas, (just shy of the human pregnancy timeline). She and her baby will be closely monitored by zoo staff in coming weeks. Staff will also be keeping an eye on the habitat’s three other gorillas to see how they react to the newest and youngest member their troop. But the gorillas have already been prepping for it.

“Animal care staff actually carried a stuffed gorilla around the habitat while interacting with the troop to properly demonstrate how to carry a baby,” Brightrall said in the release. “Our teams also taught the gorillas how to gently touch the stuffed animal, pick it up off the ground and bring it to a member of the team over at the mesh barrier.”

However, there may be some time before guests can view Bandia and her infant — the team wants to ensure that the two have sufficient time to bond and to become at ease in their habitat.

The gorilla baby has not been named yet — and it will take a little while for zoo staff to determine whether the infant is male or female.

“In the coming weeks and months, our team will be able to determine the sex, and we will share the news with our guests and community,” Detroit Zoo spokesperson Jeff Sell tells ������ϲ�ͼ������.

The Great Apes of Harambe habitat first opened in 1989. Bandia, Mshindi, and two other gorillas — 20-year-old Tulivu and 11-year-old Nayembi — all moved to the habitat last August.

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