The 11-year-old gorilla has been cradling the lifeless body of her baby, named Claudio, and carrying it on her back since he died Saturday, possibly of a heart defect, The Sun reported Wednesday. She has refused to let zookeepers retrieve the infant gorilla's body.

The sight has left zoo visitors in tears, the British newspaper said.

"Claudio died in his mother's arms, (we) think from some heart defect," zoo Director Joerg Adler told The Daily Telegraph.

"Gana doesn't know it, but the whole of Germany is mourning with her. She is so sad right now."

Claudio had started exhibiting signs of not feeling well last Wednesday and though zookeepers kept close watch on him, he died suddenly Saturday morning.

Last year for unknown reasons, Gana rejected her 6-week-old daughter Mary Zwor. She was transferred to a Stuttgart zoo where she is doing well.

Adler noted that in the wild, a gorilla mother may keep a dead baby for weeks.

"We will carry out an autopsy on the body when we can," he said.