Arlene, a baby western lowland gorilla, will make her official public debut at the Como Zoo in St. Paul Friday morning.

The baby gorilla was born at the zoo Feb. 22 to mother Dara, who senior keeper Allison Jungheim called “a fantastic mother.”

“Right from the get-go she knew how to hold the baby properly, and she’s got a very nurturing way about her,” Jungheim said in a news release. “When she’s holding the baby, she’ll tap her fingers, and bounce her up and down a little. It’s a very human-like way to soothe a baby.”

The zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but Arlene and her family troop of gorillas may not always be on display.

Andy Rathbun can be reached at 651-228-2121. Follow him at twitter.com/andyrathbun.