Atlanta Zoo Announces Baby Gorilla's Name -- And It's Adorable

ATLANTA, GA -- Zoo Atlanta's baby gorilla now has a name -- and it fits to perfection.

The zoo let the public cast votes to decide on the infant's name earlier this month, announcing a winner a just recently.

The western lowland gorilla infant was born on September 18 and comes from Atlanta royalty: She is a granddaughter of legendary fan favorite, the late Willie B.

And the infant's name is: Mijadala.

Mijadala — or Mija, for short — comes from the Swahili word for “discussions.” The name is perfect when you think of the untold numbers of people who bantered about what her name should be. But the zoo said that the name was inspired by the infant’s "unusually vocal nature," an unprecedented characteristic at Zoo Atlanta.

“Every newborn gorilla is a gift, both in the wild and within zoological populations, and it’s very important to raise awareness of the ways the future of these populations intersect,” Raymond B. King, president and CEO, said in a statement. “With the gift of Mijadala’s birth, we’re excited to also be able to send a celebratory gift to field programs that are working every day for the protection of wild gorillas and their habitats in Africa.”

Mija is the 23rd gorilla born at the Atlanta zoo since the opening of the gorilla habitat, Ford African Rain Forest nearly 30 years ago.

Image via Pixabay