Stop what you're doing and go look at this absolutely precious newborn baby gorilla. I cannot get over how cute she is! The baby, who was born at the Forth Worth Zoo in Texas, is named Jameela—which means "beautiful" in Swahili. She definitely lives up to her name! The Zoo has been posting videos, photos, and updates via their social media.
The Zoo explains that the baby was born four to six weeks early via emergency C-section after 33-year-old mom Sekani developed life-threatening complications. They also state that this was the first gorilla to be born at the zoo via C-section, a procedure that involved "medical experts from the human world." They continue:
One of the Zoo's female gorillas, 33-year-old Sekani, was pregnant with her fourth offspring and had a routine pregnancy with an expected due date of early- to mid-February. On Jan. 3, zookeepers observed Sekani moving slowly and holding her head, as if she had a headache. Sekani was exhibiting symptoms of preeclampsia, a serious blood-pressure condition that can occur during pregnancy in both humans and primates. Following testing to support a preeclampsia diagnosis, Zoo veterinarians knew intervention was necessary. Because of the diagnosis, along with the prematurity of the baby gorilla, Zoo staff and veterinarians consulted with a local obstetrician and neonatologist and agreed that an emergency cesarean would need to take place to save Sekani and give her unborn baby the best opportunity for survival.
This Instagram post provides an update on the condition of mom Sekani:
Sekani has made a full recovery, but unfortunately was not demonstrating the necessary maternal signs to care for her premature baby. Zookeepers and staff have rallied around this gorilla infant hand-raising her with around-the-clock care for the last five weeks. At the same time, staff has shifted focus to one of our other female gorillas, Gracie, for possible surrogacy.
And in this follow-up post, the Zoo provides an update on the sweet baby gorilla:
She was born weighing 3 pounds, 1 ounce and consumed about 2.5 ounces of milk in her first bottle … today, she weighs more than 5 pounds and is drinking a bottle three times as full as her first. She's quickly growing because of the incredible care provided by our dedicated zookeepers and staff. In fact, more than 40 Fort Worth Zoo employees have committed to her care. Staff went above and beyond — they fed her at all hours of the morning and night, baby proofed, purchased baby supplies and even moved an incubator from the Zoo hospital to World of Primates to create a baby gorilla "nursery." This Fort Worth Zoo baby is thriving!
To read more about Jameela and Sekani, here's a great piece on the Fort Worth Zoo website. To see more photos and videos, follow Fort Worth Zoo on Instagram or TikTok.
Previously: Watch this Gorilla papa prevent his children from playing too rough
