Richard Gardner/Shutterstock
The new arrival marks a special moment as the subspecies has been left on the brink of extinction due to disease and poaching, according to the release.
Primates Section manager Kathryn Sanders said of the happy arrival, “We started our day as normal — we gave the gorillas their breakfast and began our cleaning routines. When we returned to their back dens, we could see Mjukuu was starting to stretch and squat — a sign that she was in labor."
A critically endangered gorilla born at London Zoo.Richard Gardner/Shutterstock
“After a very quick labor – just 17 minutes – Mjukuu was spotted on camera tenderly holding her newborn and demonstrating her wonderful mothering instincts – cleaning her infant and checking it over.”
A critically endangered gorilla born at London Zoo.Richard Gardner/Shutterstock (
Richard Gardner/Shutterstock (
In November 2022, father Kiburi was transported to London Zoo from Tenerife as part of the breeding program that led to the conception of the new arrival.
The infant will remain at the facility in close contact with the mother for six months following the birth.
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“To say we’re happy about this new arrival would be a huge understatement — we’ve all been walking around grinning from ear to ear,” Sanders said of the new addition.
source: people.com
