Baby gorilla makes public debut at San Diego Zoo

SAN DIEGO (KGO) -- A new arrival is drawing big crowds at the San Diego Zoo. A 5-day-old baby gorilla made his public debut on Tuesday, hanging out with his mom, 34-year-old Jessica.

She has been bringing the yet-to-be-named male to a heated, glassed-in viewing area where visitors can see her cradle the youngster.

"She's holding her baby and pats the baby all the time. The other troop members have been curious. They come over and inspect the baby, but he's pretty much staying with Mom at this point," zookeeper Nerissa Foland said.

Jessica has five other offspring, but this is her first with a male named Paul Donn, who's now a four-time father.

Gorillas are endangered in the wild, so zookeepers say that every gorilla birth is important.