The similarities between this gorilla mama gently kissing and holding her baby and that of a human mama is striking.
The infant western lowland gorilla, named Moke, was born just a couple of days ago on April 15, to 15-year-old mother, Calaya. They live at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
Native to Africa, western lowland gorillas live in the forests of Gabon, Central Africa Republic, Cameroon, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Congo. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the western lowland gorilla as critically endangered due to disease and poaching. Scientists estimate that in the past 20 to 25 years, the number of wild western lowland gorillas has decreased by 60 percent.
