CLEVELAND — Officials at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo have issued another update on baby gorilla Jameela, and it's one they're excited to share.
"It's been a few weeks since we've done an update on our gorilla group, and that's because everything has been status quo and going great," Dr. Elena Less, animal curator, said in a new video posted to social media.
The major update on the baby gorilla who has been fostered in Cleveland since arriving from the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas in March? "She is now crawling!"
Less said Jameela is starting to come off of her surrogate mother, Fredrika, and move about her surroundings a bit more.
"She actually will come up to us on her own to get her midday bottle," Less said. "She's starting to climb the mesh of the exhibit. You will see Jameela start to play with some of her siblings."
Less said Fredrika sometimes put Jameela and let her brother, Kayembe, "babysit."
"It's really exciting to see him so gentle and protective of Jameela," Less said.
Lee said Jameela, who is being nursed by her mother, will soon be down to three bottle feedings a day. The animal curator said Fredrika's relaxed mothering style will allow Jameela to continue to explore her home.
See the full video from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo below:
