NC Zoo gorillas celebrate first birthdays

Bomassa is the elder of the two, born Aug. 4, 2012, to Jamani. Apollo, whose mother is Olympia, was born Aug. 31, 2012. The babies are brothers; they share a father, Nkosi.

North Carolina zoo visitors get a rare treat with the presence of two babies at once, zoo officials said. On average, only five gorillas are born in U.S. zoos each year.

A third baby, born earlier this year, died when, zookeepers believe, the mother accidentally rolled over on him. That baby hadn't been named at the time of his death.

Nkosi and the two adult females were bred as part of the Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP) of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).