Orphaned gorilla sent here to get a mother

An orphaned 9-month-old gorilla in need of a surrogate mother will soon be introduced to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s primate family.

Zahra was born Sept. 9, 2017, at the Milwaukee County Zoo in Wisconsin. She arrived Wednesday afternoon in Columbus.

Her parents died in April. Their deaths in Milwaukee were linked to gastrointestinal infections probably caused by E. coli in their water supply, according to news reports.

Zahra has since been raised by human keepers behind the scenes.

The same will happen for a little while at the Columbus Zoo, but officials hope to soon pair Zahra with a surrogate mother and introduce her to a stable family unit.

That was the recommendation of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan for gorillas. The plan sets guidelines for captivebreeding programs to help endangered animals thrive and maintain genetic diversity.

Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Zahra probably will be introduced to a mother in silverback gorilla Mac’s troop, although the animals’ behaviors will ultimately determine which female is selected. The troop includes four adult females: Kinyani, Mo’Ana, Toni and Tabibu.

The Columbus Zoo has participated in gorilla surrogacy for more than 30 years. Nine gorillas born in Columbus have been raised in its surrogacy program to expand social groups and, including Zahra, nine have been sent from other zoos. Zahra