By Khalida Sarwari
The San Francisco Zoo is celebrating the birth of a male baby gorilla born Monday, the first gorilla birth for the zoo in a decade and the fourth in North America this year.
The zoo’s veterinary staff reported no complications for first-time mother Monifa during the birth.
The only issue thus far has been Monifa’s tendency to be detached from her infant following the birth, zoo staff said.
Initially she displayed textbook signs of motherhood by cleaning up her elevated nest after the birth. As the day progressed, however, Monifa left the nest and has not returned since.
Jacqueline Jencek, chief of veterinary services at the zoo said that Monifa’s actions demonstrated that she was not ready for motherhood and that staff had to step in to help. After monitoring the infant overnight, the veterinary and primate teams pulled him from the nest to provide him with supportive care.
“It’s a critical time for the infant and we are having to make hard decisions,” Jencek said.
Veterinary staff and primate teams are working now to reunite the infant with his mother as well as maintain the social dynamics of the troop.
The birth plays a contributing role to the conservation efforts taking place for this critically endangered species through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan.
Tanya Peterson, acting director and president of the Zoo, expressed excitement about the new addition to the zoo family.
“This is a significant birth that demonstrates our commitment to the conservation of endangered and threatened species,” Peterson said.
Peterson said she is looking forward to making the baby gorilla an integral part of the zoo’s education program.
