Momma Gorilla Who Lost Her Firstborn 1 Year Ago Gets Captured Cradling Her New Baby

These adorable pictures of the mamma gorilla and her baby are taking the internet by storm. The baby gorilla was born on the 19th of August and the duo live in the Bristol Zoo. The 9-year-old Kala lost her firstborn a year ago and she is beaming after the delivery of her second child. The mamma is captured taking care of her baby and cradling it in an adorable manner.

Image Credit & More info: catersnews | BristolZooGardens

“Nine-year-old Kala gave birth naturally, overnight to the infant with dad, Jock, just a few meters away and the rest of the family troop nearby,” Bristol Zoo shared back in August.

“We are all thrilled,” Lynsey Bugg, Curator of Mammals at Bristol Zoo, said about the arrival of the baby. “There is something very special about seeing a new-born baby gorilla, they are such an iconic and charismatic species.”

Kala came to the zoo from Germany in 2018.

According to Lynsey , both the baby and the mommy are doing well. “She is being very attentive and taking good care of her baby,” she shared. “It’s very early days but we are cautiously optimistic. The early signs are good and the baby looks to be a good size and is strong.”

She never leaves the side of her baby.

Kala’s first baby, born last September, died when it was not even one week old. The mother gorilla had to go through an emergency cesarean section because she had a low-lying placenta blocking the birth canal, which kept the baby from being born naturally.

The zookeepers and vets closed the Gorilla House of the zoo so that the mother and the baby can have some space and time to bond, but the baby did not make it.

Luckily, Kara’s recent pregnancy had no such complications.

“The new gorilla joins our troop of six gorillas, which are part of a breeding program to help safeguard the future of western lowland gorillas,” Bristol Zoo explained in a press release.

Western lowland gorillas who originate from Cameroon in West Central Africa are now critically endangered. They are shot by hunters engaged in the bushmeat trade.

And that is why the zoo is ecstatic over the birth of the new baby.

The sex of the baby is still unknown. “The baby is definitely looking very strong and healthy and is getting hairier and more alert. Kala continues to hold the baby very close which makes confirming its sex more difficult, but we hope we’ll be able to announce the sex of the little one very soon,” the press release from Bristol Zoo says.

It further adds that, “The baby’s half-siblings, Afia and Ayana, continue to show great interest in the newest addition to the family troop, which is great news—we are sure the youngster will be a great playmate for them before too long. It’s also a great learning experience for them, showing them the skills they’ll need when they become mums themselves.”