In September, a female wild western lowland gorilla was born at Zoo Atlanta and blessed us with her cuteness.
And now, she finally has a name.
Little Mijadala — or Mija — was born on Sept. 18 to Kudzoo and Taz and is the 23rd gorilla born at Zoo Atlanta since the opening of the Ford African Rain Forest in 1988.
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According to a Zoo Atlanta news release, the name Mijadala means "discussions" in Swahili and it was inspired by her vocal nature. In fact, her caregivers say she's the most vocal gorilla infant ever born at Zoo Atlanta.
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The winning moniker is a result of a weeklong public vote in which the zoo invited the public to back their choice name with a $1 donation benefiting the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, the zoo’s longtime partner in gorilla conservation.
The name Mijadala raised more funds than the other choices of Adia, Fahari or Tisa.
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Zoo Atlanta now houses 21 western lowland gorillas and is also home to three of the world's oldest gorillas including Mijadala's 57-year-old paternal grandmother, Shamba; Mija's 53-year-old maternal grandmother, Choomba; and Ozzie, the oldest living male gorilla in the world at age 55.
To learn more about Mijadala and Zoo Atlanta’s gorilla conservation efforts, visit ZooAtlanta.org.
