(WXYZ) — The Detroit Zoo is holding a first birthday celebration Friday for Motema, the first gorilla ever born at the zoo.
The celebration will include gorilla feeding, a Zookeeper chat, and more, plus, opportunities to support great ape conservation efforts.
Instead of birthday gifts, the zoo is asking guests to bring in used cellphones or small electronics. They will support Gorillas on the Line…Answer the Call, a national recycling and conservation campaign that turns old devices into money.
So far, the organization has raised more than $48,000, which was donated by Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE), to on-the-ground conservation efforts. This year, the zoo has collected over 7,800 items.
Each person who donates a device on Aug. 8 will be entered to win a family four-pack of tickets to Zoo Boo.
Other special events during the birthday celebration include:
- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Hands-on activities about wild gorilla conservation
- 9:30 a.m. - Gorilla enrichment and zookeeper chat
- 12:30 p.m. - Gorilla feeding
- 1 p.m. - Celebration ends
Last year, Motema was born on Aug. 8 to 26-year-old Bandia, a first-time mother. It was the first gorilla birth in the zoo's 96-year history.
See video from last year of Bandia and Motema below
