Big strides for the little man: Magical moment three-month-old Tiny takes his first steps

Big strides for the little man: Magical moment three-month-old Tiny takes his first steps - Carefully balancing her son's hands in her own as he stares fixedly ahead, Tiny the gorilla takes his first ever steps under the watchful gaze of his mother.

The straw on his head serves as a reminder to previous failed attempts by the three-month-old.

At first, Tiny, who is only 1ft tall, clings on to Mjukuu unable to get his balance but soon he trusts his small legs and gets into his stride.

Delighted keepers at London Zoo captured the moment Tiny left his mother's side for the first time to explore the zoo's Gorilla Kingdom.

Scroll down for video of them together

One small step: Three-month-old Tiny took his first strides under the gaze of his proud mother at London Zoo

The youngster has clung to his 12-year-old mother, since his birth on October 26, last year, but was egged on by her as he stumbled and crawled around the enclosure.

Under the watchful eyes of 'aunty' gorillas Zaire, 36, and Effie, 17, Tiny made his way back to his mother, only to be gently pushed away and encouraged to wander.

Gorilla keeper Daniel Simmonds said: 'All of Tiny's keepers were there to see and to photograph his first steps - it was a very special moment for all of us here in Gorilla Kingdom.

On his way: Tiny is encouraged to wander by 12-year-old Mjukuu at the Gorilla Kingdom

Exploring: The small silverback looks unsteady as he takes his first steps, having clung to his mother since late October

'Tiny is also getting his first teeth through at the moment; however, he still has a long way to go before he becomes a 25-stone silverback gorilla.'

Keepers are yet to decide on a permanent name for one-foot tall Tiny, who will eventually grow to become an adult Western lowland gorilla.

Tiny is especially adored at London Zoo, as in October he became the first gorilla to be born there for 20 years.

Western lowland gorillas are classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and are threatened by illegal hunting, disease, habitat loss and degradation.

The gorillas are found in the tropical rainforests of Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. They are herbivores and feed on leaves, nuts and branches.

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) was founded in 1826 to aid the conservation of animals and their habitats.

Tiny: The one-foot baby gorilla had, until this magical moment, held on to his mother

Give me a hand: Tiny gestures for his mother to help, but she declines, wanting her little one to get back on his feet and learn to walk ( dailymail.co.uk )

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