Baby gorilla shunned by mother raised by human surrogates

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Monday, December 29, 2014
Baby gorilla Kamina drinks from a bottle.
Baby gorilla Kamina drinks from a bottle.
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

CINCINNATI -- A baby gorilla raised by human keepers is making progress.

Kamina was born at the Oklahoma City Zoo in August, but was rejected by her birth mother.

Baby gorilla Kamina walks with the help of a zookeeper.
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

So a team of trainers at the Cincinnati Zoo took over, and in a three-month baby gorilla boot camp, they taught Kamina everything her mom was supposed to.

The trainers wore hairy vests to "gorillify" her. They taught her how to stretch, eat, and even talk like a gorilla.

A zookeeper wearing a hairy vests sits with baby gorilla Kamina.
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

All of the work was done to prepare her for adoption by a real gorilla surrogate.

Soon she will be moving up the road to the Columbus Zoo be placed with other gorillas.

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