A female western lowland gorilla is making her debut at the Los Angeles Zoo.
The 24-year-old gorilla named Ndjia (in-jee-uh) was presented in her new habitat Thursday.
She was brought from the San Diego Zoo on May 9 to be paired with the Los Angeles Zoo's male silverback gorilla, Kelly, under a program that breeds western lowland gorillas, a species considered critically endangered in the wild.
It's the first breeding opportunity for Ndjia, who was slowly introduced to the LA Zoo's other gorillas. The zoo say's it's hoped she and the 31-year-old Kelly take a liking to each other.
Western lowland gorillas are native to Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Angola.
Associated Press
