Baby Named "Bolingo" by Online Voters

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's baby western lowland gorilla has been successfully reintroduced to his mother, Kishina.

Kishina is nursing her baby and displaying great interest and care towards her newborn. Kishina and the baby will remain off guest view while the park's animal care specialists and veterinary staff maintain close observation of nursing and maternal care behaviors.

More than 58,000 people went online to buschgardens.com to vote for their favorite baby name. The winner, with more than 18,000 votes, is Bolingo. The name means "Love" in Lingala, a language spoken in the Congo region of Africa where these endangered gorillas are found.

Bolingo was born at Busch Gardens on Friday, Nov. 18, 2005, at 1:44 p.m. The baby was delivered via Caesarian after Kishina, age 33, was noted experiencing difficulties over several days. The mother's medical condition and concern for the baby's health during an ultrasound examination determined the merits of the operation.

Bolingo is the first gorilla born at the Tampa adventure park in its 46-year history. The birth brings to seven the number of gorillas in the park's Myombe Reserve habitat, a 3-acre rainforest environment opened in 1992.

The father is Cenzoo, age 9, a western lowland gorilla transferred along with his father, Koundu, age 29, from the Denver Zoo in March 2003. The transfer was part of the internationally recognized Species Survival Plan (SSP) initiated by the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The SSP is a cooperative population management program designed to maintain the genetic diversity of endangered species.

The greatest threats posed to gorillas in the wild are humans due to habitat degradation, poaching, disease transmission and civil wars.

Additionally, the Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks created the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, a non-profit, private charitable foundation committed to supporting wildlife and habitat conservation, research education and animal rescue programs worldwide.