Photo:
The newborn gorilla at Woodland Park Zoo, held close by mom Jamani. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren | Woodland Park Zoo
Woodland Park Zoo welcomed a highly anticipated baby this month. On May 18, western lowland gorilla Jamani gave birth to a fuzzy little bundle of joy.
This newest baby is the most recent in a string of new events and exhibits at Woodland Park Zoo. The long-awaited Forest Trailhead opened May 1; the Family Farm is transforming into Wild Encounters; and earlier this year two adorable lion cubs were born.
Jamani and her baby are currently bonding in one of the sleeping dens, and so far all seems to be going well.
“We’re happy to report that Jamani so far is showing good maternal skills. She’s holding the baby close to her bosom, the baby is nursing, and mom and baby are bonding,” said Arden Robert, Animal Care Manager of Primates at Woodland Park Zoo, in a press release. She is holding the baby so close, in fact, that the zoo has not yet been able to confirm the sex of the new baby gorilla. Talk about attachment parenting!
Who are the baby gorilla’s parents?
This is Jamani’s second time welcoming a little one; she gave birth to a son in 2012 at the North Carolina Zoo. The baby’s father is silverback Nadaya, and this is his first offspring.
But the baby boom isn’t over! Another female gorilla, Olympia, is also due to give birth any day. Jamani and Olympia lived together at the North Carolina Zoo before coming to Woodland Park Zoo, and in 2012, they gave birth weeks apart and successfully raised their babies together.
When can we see the baby gorilla?
Currently, Jamani and her baby are not viewable to visitors. They are taking time to bond in a sleeping den, which is a quiet and comfortable environment where they can be closely monitored by zoo staff. Jamani will have the option to go into the outdoor habitat with her baby, but it still may be several days before the public will be able to catch a glimpse. The temperature needs to maintain a minimum of 65 degrees in the outdoor shelter, and the space may be closed off to zoo visitors the first few times they venture out.
See you at the zoo! (Don’t forget to grab tickets to ZooTunes for a fun outdoor concert this summer.)
