This L.A. Zoo project has been of primate importance

Years of planning culminate in a 'baby boom' of five great apes in four months — a gorilla, an orangutan and three chimpanzees

- Andrea Flores

ROMINA BERGMAN, 2, reaches out to Yoshi's female infant, the first chimp born at the Los Angeles Zoo in more than 10 years.

Every morning while the great apes of the L.A. Zoo are sleeping, Tania Prebble goes around distributing their food, medicine and other essentials.

She tosses carrots, celery and other fibrous treats such as cucumbers on top of the branches and leaves that are reminiscent of the apes’ West Central Africa rainforest habitat.

But as of late, Prebble’s morning rounds have been a little different. She's also taken along bedding — a lot more than usual — to help shepherd in an L.A. Zoo “baby boom” of great apes over the last four months.

The most recent primate was born Nov. 22 to 31-year-old N’djia and silverback Kelly, 38, whose daughter Angela in 2020 was the first gorilla born at the L.A. Zoo in more than 20 years.

The baby male gorilla has not yet been named by zoo staff, but he has already been introduced to his older sister.

"Mom has definitely got a nice maternal hold and is very protective of the baby," said Prebble, animal keeper of the zoo’s western lowland gorillas. “Angela is starting to get a little bit more curious. She’s coming up very gently, Mom has been letting her get closer and do sweet little kisses.”

Along with Angela’s newest sibling, the zoo has welcomed four other great apes recently.

Throughout two weeks starting in August, two chimpanzees gave birth — 35-year-old Yoshi to a female offspring, the first chimp born at the zoo in more than 10 years, followed by Vindi, an 18-year-old first-time mom, who delivered a female infant.