WBIR-KNOXVILLE) East Tennessee has fallen in love with the Knoxville Zoo's gorilla babies, and now, you can keep an eye on them all day long!
On May 28, Hope delivered a baby girl named Obi, which means "heart" in the West African lgbo language. Obi's hair has a reddish tint. Just a few days later on June 2, Machi delivered a baby boy named Ubuntu, a South African name meaning "I am; because of you." Bantu is the father of both gorillas. Obi and Ubuntu are his first offspring, and they are the first gorillas born in Tennessee in decades.
Watch: McGaha Gorilla Cam
WBIR, the Knoxville Zoo, and the News Sentinel have teamed up to launch the McGaha Gorilla Cam! You can watch the zoo family in the Gorilla Valley Courtyard from 6:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. every day. McGaha Electric Company installed the fiber cable that makes our live camera possible.
"The response to the first gorillas ever born in Knoxville has been overwhelming, and we are very excited to be able to share them with everyone through the McGaha Gorilla Cam," said Knoxville Zoo President and CEO Lisa New. "Although seeing them in person is an absolute must, this makes it possible for everyone to watch them grow up even when you can't physically be at the zoo."
The zoo babies are about to begin an exciting time in their development, becoming more independent and interacting with each other playfully as they learn to crawl and explore. Since the gorillas prefer to bed down in their dens at night and off-view, the camera will be streaming during the hours when they are awake and active, including one of their favorite times of the day, breakfast in the courtyard around 10:00 a.m. daily.
