Bristol Zoo's baby gorilla name chosen by public

A baby gorilla, born at Bristol Zoo, has been given the name Hasani - which means "handsome" in Swahili - following a public vote.

The three-month-old western lowland gorilla was born in August and is being hand-reared by keepers after he failed to feed well from his mother, Kala.

Mammals curator, Lynsey Bugg, said she was "really pleased with his progress".

It is hoped he will be able to return to the rest of the group of gorillas at the zoo in the next few months.

Zoo staff said Hasani now weighed 4.48 kg (9.9 pounds), and was being fed formula milk every three hours and being taught how to be a young gorilla.

"His coordination is improving and he is getting stronger," said Ms Bugg.

"He is very playful and is already proving to have a lovely temperament."

Staff said the young animal was being cared for in the gorilla house during the day "to allow plenty of opportunities" for his mother and the other gorillas to see him, smell him and be near him, and to ensure he continues to be accepted as a familiar member of the gorilla family.

At night he is being cared for by keepers in zoo-owned accommodation.

"We are doing lots of work to encourage development of his mobility and strength, such as helping him to scoot, roll over and pull himself up," added Ms Bugg.

"We encourage a lot of learning through play. It's immensely rewarding to see him developing in the way an infant gorilla should."

The name was chosen from a shortlist, in a public poll on social media which attracted more than 2,000 votes.

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