Zoo gorilla brings her baby to meet mom and newborn on other side of glass

When it comes to the ties of a mother’s love, sometimes a difference isn’t really a difference at all.

You may ask Emmelina Austin and her new gorilla companion, Kiki.

A few weeks ago, Austin and her family took their 1-month-old son, Canyon, to the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston.

On their way to the gorilla enclosure, Austins happened to notice Kiki with her own offspring, a baby gorilla named Pablo, who was just seven months old.

“My wife commented that she felt as though she could understand their closeness and how much she cared for Pablo, now that she is a mother herself,” Canyon’s father, Michael Austin, told The Dodo.

“My wife lifted out our son to demonstrate to Kiki, who was on the other side of the enclosure… suddenly Kiki grabbed Pablo and carried him over to us on her leg.”

For several minutes, Emmelina and Kiki sat inches apart with their infants, bonding as mothers despite the distance between them in an age-old language:

“[Kiki] was communicating with us through her hands,” Michael explained. “At one point, Pablo pressed his face against the glass, and they watched him together, noses touching. My wife and I were both in tears.”

It was an experience the young family will never forget.

Michael described it as one of the greatest moments of his life. “What a wonderful memory to pass on to our son in the future!”