Brookfield Zoo's Baby Gorilla Turns 1
(STMW) -- It's not just Election Day — Tuesday is the first birthday of the Brookfield Zoo's baby western lowland gorilla, Nora.
Nora, who weighed about 3.5 pounds at birth, now weighs close to 12 pounds, according to a press release from the zoo. She celebrated her birthday with sugar-free gelatin cakes filled with bananas, apples and grapes, and guests were invited to sing Happy Birthday and sign a card for Nora.
Nora now interacts with all the members of her troop, including her half-sister Kamba, who is 10 years old and occasionally carries Nora on her back.
Over the past year, Nora's baby teeth have grown in, along with her body hair. She is filling out and becoming more muscular, according to the zoo.
Nora received her name, which means "honor" or "light," following a contest in which more than 70,000 votes were tallied online.
Western lowland gorillas are considered critically endangered, and it is not known how many survive in their native West Africa, according to the zoo.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)