Detroit Zoo: a second gorilla birth for first time mom Tulivu

ROYAL OAK. The Detroit Zoo has a new gorilla. A female was born late Sunday, July 12, to first time mother Tulivu and father Mshindi, only the second gorilla birth in the zoo's history. She's a half sister to Motema, born in 2024 to the same father.

Keepers say both mother and baby are doing well. Tulivu spent about eight and a half months training to hold still for ultrasounds so staff could track the pregnancy along the way. The gorilla group has lived at the zoo's Great Apes of Harambee building since 2023, part of a national plan to keep the species genetically diverse in human care. The building stays open, though the newborn won't always be out where visitors can see her.