Donna Salyer's Fabulous Furs provides fur for Cincy baby gorilla - FOX19.com-Cincinnati News, Weather & Sports

Local shop's fake fur makes baby gorilla Gladys feel at home

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Posted by FOX19 Digital Media Staff - email
CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) -

The Cincinnati Zoo has partnered with the local company, Donna Salyer's Fabulous Furs, to outfit its human gorilla surrogate team with realistic faux fur vests and coats. 

Surrogates will be wearing these vests while holding and attending to the Zoo's new baby gorilla, Gladys.

Even before Gladys' arrival, Zoo volunteers stepped up to create vests for surrogates to wear. 

Once Fabulous Furs heard about the Zoo's unique wardrobe needs they too offered to help. 

Fabulous Furs allowed the surrogates choose the faux "fur" material and give detailed specifications that would allow them to create functional, furry, gorilla-like outerware.   

Now when the surrogates are caring for Gladys, she will be holding on to the most realistic faux fur available. 

"Vests are incredibly important to Gladys' gorilla-fication. The day a baby gorilla is born they can pretty much hold on to mom without any support.  So we need to give Gladys the same opportunity as we're doing her surrogacy ourselves until she goes in with a gorilla," said Ron Evans Primate Team Leader at the Cincinnati Zoo. "It's very important that Gladys has some good hand holds and when she's on these vests she sticks to them like velcro. She's very comfortable on them and feels much more secure in her ability to hang on like a gorilla should. We are extremely grateful to Donna Salyers and her entire team."