COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — An infant born unexpectedly in July from a gorilla initially believed to be a male at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium finally has a name.

Kwame the gorilla made her name debut on Tuesday on the Columbus Zoo’s social media pages. The Kvamme family, one of the zoo’s long-time donor families and advocates, chose her name, which means “quiet ruler” in Swahili or “teacher” in Hausa, and has a special ring to the family.

Sully, the newborn’s mother and a western lowland gorilla who came to the zoo in 2019 with her mother, surprised the zoo in July when she became a mother herself.

“Our dedicated keepers recently discovered that the proud mom, who was initially believed to be a male, is actually a female gorilla,” the zoo wrote on social media. “Talk about a surprise twist!”

The Columbus Zoo shared photos of Sully with Kwame on its website. Its Congo and Animal Health care teams have been watching Kwame since the birth, and shared that things are going very well. While the zoo’s gorilla exhibit closed while they monitored the new mother, it is now open to the public.

Western lowland gorillas are a critically endangered species due to deforestation, habitat loss and the illegal bushmeat trade, the zoo added, making Kwame an example of its work to protect the gorillas and increase their numbers.

Funds donated by the Kvamme’s to name Kwame will be used to improve the gorilla’s current facility and support gorilla conservation, the zoo said.

The zoo previously welcomed another gorilla baby, Jamani, in 2020. Its newest western lowland gorilla baby is another positive in a year where the zoo regained a previously lost accreditation.