This adorable newborn gorilla clings on to her mother - PHOTO

Weighing in at 200lbs, with huge arms and shoulders, Western Lowland Gorillas are known for their exceptional size and strength.But as new mother Koola shows, they can also be exceptionally kind and gentle when it comes to caring for their young.Here the 18-year-old primate cuddles her two-month-old baby girl - who has yet to be named - to her chest in a loving embrace, keeping one protective arm around her body.The shots show the cute infant interacting with its mother - lying on its parent's chest, taking a nap, and nestling into her mother's fur whilst looking into the camera.While adult female gorillas can weigh up to 250lb, the newborn tipped the scales at just over four pounds when she was born.As the baby grows, she will develop thicker hair and a white 'tail' tuft and will start riding on Koola's back when she is three months old. And about a month later she will start to sample small pieces of food and explore more on her own.The female infant came into the world on November 4 2013 at Chicago's Brookfield Zoo and has one sister named Kamba.She is the first daughter of 33-year-old male JoJo who was brought into the group in 2012 in the hope that he would breed to increase the numbers of this critically endangered species.Stuart Strahl, president and CEO of the Chicago Zoological Society, said: 'We are extremely pleased that JoJo has successfully assumed the role as the silverback or leader of Brookfield Zoo's gorilla group and has made a positive impact since his arrival.'This infant represents an important contribution to the gorilla population in North American zoos. We hope that when zoo guests see the infant and her family members they will be inspired to care for this critically endangered species.'Currently there are 342 western lowland gorillas in 53 accredited North American zoos.Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered due to habitat destruction primarily from logging, disease, the illegal pet trade and poaching for bush meat.It's not known how many western lowland gorillas survive in their native West Africa. Some recent estimates have been between 90,000 and 110,000 but new surveys are needed to determine whether or not this figure is exaggerated.(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az