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Video: Gorilla mom gives her newborn a kiss

Gorilla mom gives her newborn a kiss
Gorilla mom gives her newborn a kiss
Posted at 11:45 AM, Apr 17, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-17 11:45:00-04

WASHINGTON, DC (CNN) - A video captures tender, touching moments between a mother gorilla and her newborn male at Smithsonian's National Zoo on Sunday.

The mother, Calaya, was seen kissing and cradling the newborn, named Moke, which means "junior" in the Linglala language of Congo.

The baby's father waited respectfully nearby and let out a contented rumble when Moke was born.

It is Calaya's first child.

According to the Washington Post, the zoo put her on birth control pills when she first arrived in 2015 so she could get acclimated to her surroundings and find her place in the group.

She was taken off birth control later, and mated with the zoo's silverback Baraka.

Her handlers gave her training on how to care for an infant, including a plush stuffed gorilla with which to practice.

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