SHARE Zoo Knoxville gorilla Kowali nurses her newborn hours after the infant was born. The baby, the third gorilla born at the zoo in 16 months, arrived late on Saturday Sept. 10. Kowali and baby are resting; the Gorilla Valley courtyard is closed to the public, Sunday, Sept. 11, to give them time to rest and bond. Photo courtesy of Zoo Knoxville. Zoo Knoxville gorilla Kowali, 38, holds her newborn as the zoo's toddler gorillas Ubuntu and Obi get a good look at their half sibling. Kowali gave birth late Saturday, Sept. 10. Obi and Ubuntu are the children of the zoo's other female gorillas, Hope and Machi. Kowali and her baby are off exhibit Sunday; the mother is remaining in the back area of the gorillas' indoor, off exhibit area. Photo courtesy of Zoo Knoxville.

By Amy McRary of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Zoo Knoxville now has a trio of baby gorillas. The park's third gorilla infant was born late Saturday.

Zoo gorilla Kowali, 38, gave birth between 9:30 and 10 p.m. Saturday inside the park's Gorilla Valley building. Estimated at three to four pounds, the baby appears healthy and was nursing Sunday. The baby's sex isn't yet known; it also hasn't been named.

Kowali is an attentive mother. On Sunday she cared for her infant, mostly remaining in an off-exhibit area of the gorilla exhibit. Gorilla Valley was closed Sunday to the public. The habitat will reopen as soon as the mother gorilla seems to be at ease with having visitors, said Zoo Director of Communications Tina Rolen.

Mother and baby remain part of the Gorilla Valley family group. That group includes Bantu, the zoo's 18-year-old male silverback who is the father of all three of the young gorillas. It also includes the park's two other adult females and mothers, Hope and Machi, and their 15-month-old infants Obi and Ubuntu.

The infant's first day went smoothly, zookeepers reported. The baby got lots of attention from half-siblings Obi and Ubuntu. Both curious toddlers Sunday walked to Kowali to stare at the baby; she allowed them to be close enough to see and to gently touch the baby at times. Late Sunday, she allowed Ubuntu to place one of his index fingers briefly atop the baby's head.

The infant's birth hasn't disrupted the group, Rolen said. Kowali was recovering well from giving birth and ate both lunch and dinner. The other adult gorillas were respecting the serious, reserved Kowali's wish for space, Rolen said.

Zookeepers were at the exhibit Saturday night watching to see if Kowali might give birth and if so, if she or her baby would need help. While Kowali's due date was Sept. 16, zookeepers expected she could give birth between Aug. 29 and Oct. 16. Zoo staff members continue to monitor the mother and baby, but will intervene if there is a need to do so.

Kowali is an experienced mother. The infant is her sixth, and likely last, baby. Her other five infants were born at Lincoln Park Zoo, where she lived before coming to Knoxville in 2013. It's also the third gorilla born at Zoo Knoxville since May 2015. Hope gave birth to her daughter Obi on May 28, 2015. Machi delivered her son Ubuntu five days later.

Being home to a family group with three infants is a major step in caring for gorillas at Zoo Knoxville. The park housed bachelor male apes for 20 years before being approved for a breeding group by the American Zoological Association species survival plan for the critically endangered animals.

Obi and Ubuntu were the first Western lowland gorillas born at Zoo Knoxville, and their births helped the park set an annual attendance record. The babies are also the first gorillas born in a Tennessee zoo in 30 years; the Memphis Zoo was the home to the earlier births.