Cincinnati Zoo announces $12 million gorilla exhibit

After celebrating the birth of its 50th gorilla since 1970 last week, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden has announced plans for a $12 million expansion of its gorilla exhibit.

In a video released Tuesday, director Thane Maynard said the new indoor facility would essentially double the size of the current outdoor exhibit.

The zoo current enclosure was opened in 1978 and was the first "barless" habitat of its kind in the country, Maynard said.

The new indoor exhibit, which will resemble a greenhouse, would allow the gorillas to be seen by the public year-round, provide better tools for the zoo to care for the animals, and offer more ways for the public to learn about gorillas.

Maynard said the new facility could be open as soon as the summer of 2017.