VIDEOS: Baby gorilla Gandai makes public debut with her surrogate mother

Jacksonville, FL — The baby gorilla at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has made her public debut with her surrogate mother, as the pair continues to bond

We've been following the story of little Gandai for months. She was taken from her mother shortly after birth, because that gorilla- Kumbuka- is hearing impaired and wasn't properly caring for and handling the baby. Kumbuka had previously lost two infants because of similar problems, which appear to be related to her hearing, so the Zoo intervened for the safety of Gandai.

GALLERY: Gandai the baby gorilla

Gandai was raised by hand by keepers around the clock for the last five months, while she gained strength. Last week, the baby was re-introduced to her mother, but within a day Kumbuka became disinterested in Gandai and would even push her away. The Zoo gave Kumbuka the option to leave the area where the baby was, and she did so willingly.

Keepers immediately moved to "Plan B"- bringing in surrogate mother gorilla Bulera. The two instantly bonded and have spent the last week together under supervision. The Zoo says they are very happy with how that relationship is blooming.

Today, the pair was given access to the exhibit together for the first time. Once the exhibit was opened up, Bulera came out first by herself. After a couple of minutes of looking around-appearing to check to make sure everything would be good for the little one- she went back inside and came out with Gandai on her back.

Bulera walked around the exhibit for awhile, before sitting down and placing Gandai on the ground. From there, Bulera spent some time walking around the exhibit by herself and snatching up lettuce leaves that the keepers had spread out.

It’s the first time she was out on the exhibit since being paired with Gandai.

Gandai has been out on the exhibit in the “African Forest” before, but it was with keepers who were mimicking gorilla behavior. Today marked her public debut with Bulera.

The Zoo says it all went incredibly well, with Bulera carrying the baby when she needed to and appearing to be very comfortable.

After about 15 minutes or so, Bulera picked Gandai back up and brought her inside.

As long as Gandai and Bulera continue to appear comfortable and the weather holds, the Zoo intends to continue to give them access to the exhibit, so they can move in and out at their leisure. The other gorillas in the troop will get time in a second yard and on the trail system and large Kapok tree in the "African Forest" exhibit.

Next week, the Zoo is planning to start introducing Gandai to other animals. The gorillas currently share exhibit space with Colobus and Mandrill monkeys, and the Zoo plans to first try introducing the Colobus, because they are small, playful, and tend to stay together. Gandai and Bulera have access to other gorillas, in that they can see them, smell them, and touch fingers, although that is all through a mesh barrier.

At this time, the pair has not shared space with any of the other gorillas. The Zoo says they’re not necessarily concerned about that, but they are taking things slow, to ensure a smooth and easy process.