Endangered Gorilla Gives Birth At Franklin Park Zoo
BOSTON (CBS) – Visitors can now see the newest member of the gorilla family at the Franklin Park Zoo.
Kiki, a western lowland gorilla, gave birth to her fourth baby with her mate Kitombe Thursday morning.
The zoo made the announcement Friday.
Their other children include Kimani, 10, and Kambiri, 4, both of whom are at the zoo, and the oldest child, Kira, who was moved to the Philadelphia Zoo two years ago to start a family.
Staff say Kiki started to go into labor before 9:30 a.m. Thursday and Kimani and Kambiri witnessed the birth about 10 a.m.
The unnamed baby's gender is currently unknown.
"The baby appears strong, healthy and alert. All of these are very good signs and we will continue to closely monitor Kiki and the baby while they're on exhibit," said Jeannine Jackle, assistant curator of the Tropical Forest and member of the AZA Gorilla SSP Management Committee, in a statement.
"We plan to keep the routine as normal as possible for all of the gorillas. Following the birth, Kiki appeared very calm and relaxed and has been doing everything a gorilla mother should."
Kiki's birth was right on schedule, as staff predicted a May birth. Workers used an over-the-counter home pregnancy test to confirm that Kiki, one of the zoo's seven western lowland gorillas, was expecting.
"It's an incredibly special opportunity and we hope people will visit us throughout the coming months and years to watch the baby grow and develop," said John Linehan, president and CEO of Zoo New England.
