The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has announced the name of its newest baby gorilla.
The zoo’s 12-year-old gorilla, Gladys, gave birth to the baby boy on Sept. 20. The infant is Gladys’ first baby and the 51st gorilla born at the Cincinnati Zoo. According to social media posts from the Cincinnati Zoo, both mom and baby are doing well, and Gladys is an excellent first-time mother.
The zoo announced on social media Monday that, after receiving much community input, it has decided to name the baby Mboka Jo. “Mboka” means “community” or “village” in Lingala, a Bantu language spoken in the northwestern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where many western lowland gorillas live. “Jo” is in honor of Gladys’ foster father, Jomo.
The zoo says the name Mboka is a nod to the community of people who helped Gladys when she was a baby, as well as when she was injured last year. Gladys came to the Cincinnati Zoo from the Gladys Porter Zoo in 2013 after her own mother’s maternal instincts didn’t kick in and she needed human surrogates and a potential surrogate gorilla mother. In 2024, Gladys also broke her arm during a scuffle with her troop and received the world’s first 3D-printed titanium cast. The zoo credits its vet team and keeper staff for helping her fully recover.
Mboka Jo’s father is Mbeli, a 23-year-old silverback gorilla who is also a first-time parent. The zoo says he will remain fairly hands-off in raising the baby but will continue to provide protection for both Gladys and Mboka Jo within their social group.
The Cincinnati Zoo says there are about 765 gorillas in zoos worldwide. In the wild, western lowland gorillas are critically endangered, with fewer than 175,000 individuals. You can learn more about the zoo’s gorilla conservation efforts here.
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Avondale. More info: cincinnatizoo.org.
