It's a girl! Detroit Zoo launches contest to name first-ever baby gorilla born at the zoo

ROYAL OAK (WWJ) — The first baby gorilla ever born at the Detroit Zoo in its 96-year history is a female, officials announced Monday.

The baby is “continuing to thrive” under the care of her mother, Bandia, and both are doing well after the Aug. 8 birth.

The zoo says the next step is to give the baby girl a name, and the public has the chance to have a say.

Starting Monday, voting is open to members of the public , who can vote as many times as they’d like. Each vote requires a $10 donation, with proceeds from all donations in the naming contest will benefit the SAFE gorilla (Saving Animals From Extinction) Program.

Voting will remain open until Sept. 9 and the winner will be determined by the name that receives the highest donation amount.

The zoo released a list of five names, along with the meaning of each:

• Usala – This name comes from the conservation corridor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It also means “forest” in Kikumu language.
• Amateka — This name means “history” in Kinyarwanda language.
• Mbere — This name means “first” in Kinyarwanda language.
• Lobéké — This name comes from the national park in Cameroon, which is home to the highest density of western lowland gorillas in the world.
• Motema — This name means “heart” in Lingala language.

The SAFE program utilizes the collective efforts from zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to protect wild gorilla populations through on-the-ground protection of gorillas, research and monitoring, and targeted stakeholder engagement and education.

“This has been an incredibly fun and exciting time for our entire animal care team,” said Mike Murray, vice president of life sciences for the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS). “Bandia is doing an amazing job as a first-time mom; the love, care and dedication she has for her baby is just remarkable to see. We’re continuing to closely monitor her and the baby, and so far, everything has gone according to plan. We’re really looking forward to having this baby grow up and thrive here at the Zoo.”

The zoo says western lowland gorillas are critically endangered in the wild, and “because conservation is at the core of everything the DZS does, the nonprofit continues to support a number of conservation partnerships and programs that keep gorillas from going extinct.”

The baby is the fifth gorilla to call the zoo home, along with Bandia and her 36-year-old father, Mshindi, as well as 20-year-old Tulivu and 11-year-old Nayembi.