Baby gorilla born at Bristol Zoo named Hasani in public vote
Two-thousand people took part in a poll on Facebook
A baby gorilla recently born at Bristol Zoo has been named Hasani following a public vote.
It means handsome in Swahili - he's now three months old and keepers say he's started teething.
The name was one of four choices put to a public poll on the zoo's Facebook page, which attracted more than 2,000 votes.
At the moment he's being hand-reared by keepers after his mother Kala struggled to feed him.
Lynsey Bugg, Mammals Curator, said: “Hasani continues to do very well, we are really pleased with his progress.
"His coordination is improving and he is getting stronger.
"He is very playful and is already proving to have a lovely temperament.”
He is receiving round-the-clock care from a small team of experienced gorilla keepers, who give him formula milk every three hours and are teaching him how to be a young gorilla.
This will continue for the next few months after which it is hoped he will be ready to return to the rest of the group.
During the day, Hasani is cared for in the Gorilla House to allow plenty of opportunities for his mother, Kala, and the other gorillas to see him, smell him and be near him, and ensure that he continues to be accepted as a familiar member of the gorilla family.
At night the infant is being cared for by keepers in Zoo-owned accommodation.
Lynsey added: “He wakes for milk feeds during the night and tends to cluster feed in the evening.
"During the day he still sleeps a lot, but is getting very active between naps.
“We are doing lots of work to encourage development of his mobility and strength, such as helping him to scoot, roll over and pull himself up.
"We encourage a lot of learning through play ̶ it’s immensely rewarding to see him developing in the way an infant gorilla should.”
Lynsey said keepers are treating Hasani like a gorilla mum would, expecting him to hold on tight and making gorilla vocalisations to make reintroduction into the group as easy for him as possible.
She added: “It’s really important for him that he remains a familiar member of the group, as well as being used to all the sounds, sights and smells of the gorillas.”
It's said mother Kala continues to show "a good level of interest" in Hasani.
The zoo has been home to gorillas since 1930 and plays a significant role in the conservation breeding programme for western lowland gorillas as well as running a conservation programme in Equatorial Guinea in Africa.
Currently the zoo is closed because of thh second national lockdown.
If you would like to donate to the zoo to help ensure its future you can do so at bristolzoo.org.uk/bzsappeal.