Washington - A baby western lowland gorilla, whose mother is owned by the Milwaukee County Zoo, was born at the National Zoo this weekend in view of visitors and a zoo volunteer, officials said.

The mother, Mandara, has been cradling the 4- to 5-pound baby to her chest. Her palm covers the baby's body, but its head and one arm is usually visible, zoo spokeswoman Pamela Baker-Masson said. Zoo workers have not gotten a close enough peek to say whether it is male or female.

"She's holding the baby. She's very unlikely to set it down," Baker-Masson said. "Sometimes the hand was in a little ball, and sometimes the hand is spread out."