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The zoo is open daily from 9:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Admission and ticket sales stop one-hour before the zoo closes. Next-day admission is free after 3 p.m. For more information, please call 865.637.5331 ext. 300 or visit www.knoxvillezoo.org.
Knoxville - Knoxville Knoxville Zoo officials are thrilled to announce the names and genders of the first Western lowland gorillas born in Knoxville. A girl and a boy, and the one-month-olds have been officially christened Obi and Ubuntu according to the press release.
The first gorilla born in Knoxville, who arrived in the early morning hours of May 28 to mother Hope is a girl and has been named Obi, which means "heart" in the Igbo language of West Africa. The baby born five days later on June 2 to mother Machi, is a boy and has been named Ubuntu, which is a South African concept that means "I am; because of you", the press release said.
The elusive task of determining the gender of the first Western lowland gorillas ever born in Knoxville involved careful study by Knoxville Zoo staff and veterinarians as well as input from experts at zoos around the country, the press release said.