Zoo Miami Celebrates Birth Of Baby Gorilla
SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE (CBS4) – After months of anxious anticipation, a pregnant Western Lowland Gorilla has given birth to a healthy baby. Zoo Miami calls it the most significant birth of the year. Kumbuka, a 14-year-old Gorilla gave birth to the healthy baby on Sunday, June 19th, which just happened to be Father's Day.
The sex and weight of the baby gorilla, the first to be born in Florida this year, have yet to be determined.
Click here for Baby Gorilla slideshow.
Because the mother is so protective, zoo keepers don't want to disturb the first critical hours of bonding and nursing between her and her newborn. The infant has been observed nursing and appears healthy. Once the staff can safely separate mother and infant, the veterinary staff will perform a neonatal exam.
Kumbuka first arrived at Zoo Miami in 2007 from the Pittsburgh Zoo in hopes of breeding. This is her 2nd infant, she lost her first baby but hopes are high for this newcomer. The new baby is currently on exhibit with the rest of the gorilla family, including 32-year-old JJ, the father who has sired 4 offspring.
Gorillas have no specific breeding season. Females bear offspring every 3½ to 5 years and have a gestation period of approximately 8 ½ months. Gorilla babies weigh 2 to 5 pounds at birth and are weaned at around 8 months. By 2½ years, they can travel under their own power fast enough to keep up with the adults. Females reach sexual maturity at 6 to 7 years and males at 9 to 10 years.
The gorilla is the largest living ape and is found in the lowlands and mountains of western equatorial Africa to central and eastern Africa, depending on the sub-species. Commonly known as the "gentle giant", there are probably less than 10,000 of these majestic animals in the wild today. They are also a focus of the Zoo's participation in the Species Survival Plan, (SSP) in which North American zoos collaborate to encourage the development of a self-sustaining zoo gorilla population, helping to ensure the survival of this endangered species. Each SSP manages the breeding of a species in order to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable.
Zoo visitors and the public can celebrate the baby gorilla birth through the zoo's Adopt an Animal program. Just go to www.ZooMiami.org for more information.
