Baby Gorilla Gets a Name
The National Zoo is pleased to announce the name of the female baby western lowland gorilla born here on January 10 to mom Mandara and dad Baraka.... Kibibi!
More than 10,000 votes were cast in March for one of three Swahili names, and Kibibi got more than 4,000 votes. The name, pronounced kee-BEE-bee, means "little lady." Kipenzi (meaning "loved one") was a close second, and Keyah ("good health") was a distant third. Thanks to everyone who voted.
The baby, the seventh successful gorilla birth for the Zoo since 1991, joins siblings Kigali, Kwame and Kojo, as well as Baraka's mother, Haloko, at the Great Ape House. All of the Zoo’s gorillas will remain on exhibit. Visitors can see them every day between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Update From a Great Ape House Keeper–March 31
Our newly named gorilla baby, Kibibi, is quickly approaching three months old, and the exciting changes in her life and her development continue. She is growing every day, and more and more hair is beginning to cover her previously sparsely covered body.
Keepers have started to notice the emergence of her white rump patch. As she develops more hair over the next few months this area of bright white hair on her backside will become more evident. All great apes develop this white rump patch in infancy to signify to their group members that they are young and “in training” and should be treated accordingly.
Primates at the Zoo
The Zoo is home to many primates. Orangutans and western lowland gorillas can be found at the Great Ape House. Smaller primates, including golden lion tamarins, Geoffroy's marmosets, and howler monkeys, can be found in the Small Mammal House. Look for gibbons at Gibbon Ridge and lemurs at Lemur Island. 
On mild days, the organgutans can sometimes be seen overhead as they travel along the O Line between the Great Ape House and Think Tank. The time visitors are mostly likely to see these apes on the O Line is between 11 and 11:30 a.m.
About Primates
There are 376 species of primates in the world—from humans and apes to monkeys and prosimians ("premonkeys").
The smallest primate is the pygmy mouse lemur, which can fit in the palm of your hand. The largest—the gorilla—can weigh more than 400 pounds. Most primates live in warm climates, and most depend on forests for their survival. "
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