Calgary Zoo welcomes baby gorilla

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo welcomed a baby Western Lowland Gorilla Wednesday.

The zoo announced mom Yewande, 15,  gave birth to a critically endangered western lowland gorilla Wednesday, adding that ‘all are doing well’ including “great early mothering skills being shown by Yewande.”

“It warms our hearts to see Yewande settling into a motherhood role,” Kim Walker, Animal Care Manager (South America/Rainforest) at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, said in a statement.

“Yewande and the baby are doing well, and we’ve closed the building to give the troop some privacy as they get acquainted with their newest family member. The Animal Care, Health and Welfare team will be closely monitoring and supporting them – from a distance — every moment along the way. We couldn’t be more thrilled about the successful birth of this infant.”

They add Yewande, Jasiri, and the baby are together with the rest of the troop in the main habitat, and the team is seeing “positive behaviour from the troop as a whole.”

However, Coleen Baird, the interim director of Animal Care, says the whole troop appears to be suffering from a sickness.

She tells CityNews the team is hoping the virus won’t affect the newborn.

“When the baby starts to nurse, [they’ll] get a lot of that antibody support from [their] mom. And so whatever their mom is fighting or going through will get passed on, but we want to make sure that it is getting that nursing moment. And then we have them on board,” Baird explained.

“So we’re paying attention for sure. We’re not too nervous right now, but we’re certainly watching every moment here.”

Baird says they don’t know if the troop has COVID-19, but she says they are getting 24-7 care, with medications and nutritious food and drinks.

She also says the zoo isn’t sure if the baby is a boy or girl yet, but she adds they’ll be able to find out when the mother lets them get closer.

The African Rainforest building is closed for the time being to allow the troop privacy as their bond with their newest member.

This newborn is the 11th of this critically endangered species to be born at Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.