Louisville Zoo - Collections - Animals - Baby Western Lowland Gorilla Baby

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Baby western lowland gorilla

A western lowland gorilla was born at the Zoo on February 6, 2010.

Parents

Mother: Mia Moja, age 20

Father: Mshindi, age 22

Fact Sheet

Click here for a Fact Sheet about Western lowland gorillas

Updates

August 11: Baby Misha is thriving in her new home. Click here for a video update from the Columbus Zoo.

May 28: Baby gorilla Misha made her debut today at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. She is now receiving 24/7 care from the zoo’s staff of surrogacy experts who are raising the infant next to other gorillas; the first step toward identifying a surrogate mom and integrating her into a gorilla family.

During the introduction period which is expected to take at least a few months, Misha will be spending the majority of time in the indoor African Forest habitat by the other gorillas but may need to be moved to the behind-the-scenes nursery on occasion. Check out the photo gallery below for updated photos of Misha at the Columbus Zoo.

May 21: The baby gorilla is doing exceptionally well and it’s now time to take the next step in her future and so she will soon be leaving for a new home.

But before she leaves, the Louisville Zoo’s staff, which has been caring for her around the clock, named her Misha (MEE-sha)—a combination and blending of her parents’ names, Mia Moja and Mshindi.

After consulting with the nation’s leading gorilla experts, it has been decided that Misha will be relocated to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio sometime soon to be paired with an adult female gorilla that will be a surrogate mother to the infant. Columbus Zoo is one of the leading zoo experts in gorilla surrogacy. Their holistic program has been refined over the past 25 years and has set the standard nationwide. The program includes providing 24/7 care by the hand rearing team, raising the infant next to other gorillas until she is introduced to her new gorilla mom and a commitment from the management team.

“The Columbus Zoo has put a lot of resources and expertise into making their surrogacy program the best,” Louisville Zoo Director John Walczak said. “And Misha deserves the best.”

While hand raising Misha was necessary to aid and speed her recovery following her injury, the plan always has been to return her to a gorilla family unit. Unfortunately, mother Mia Moja doesn’t have surrogacy history or training that would provide the best possible care for the infant. Surrogates are taught to not only care for their baby like their own but also to bring the baby over to staff when prompted for bottle feedings, medication and regular check-ups.

Eight of Columbus Zoo’s gorillas have been raised in their surrogacy program and an additional five have been raised for other zoos. The Columbus Zoo has several female gorillas that could act as a surrogate mother and observations of their interest in Misha will determine the best fit.

It is fully expected that Misha will adapt to her injuries and thrive as a gorilla and that’s the best news of all.

We’re all going to miss her but being with an experienced surrogate gorilla is the best thing for her. From time to time we will post updates from Columbus as Misha settles into her new surroundings.

April 28: The Zoo’s female infant baby gorilla is continuing to improve, and the Zoo’s veterinary team says her prognosis is good.


	Gorilla baby and Louisville Zoo Mammal Curator Candy McMahan.. Photo by Kara Bussabarger/The Louisville Zoo

The infant is in an off-exhibit area in Gorilla Forest being hand raised by staff who are physically holding and caring for her 24 hours a day. To aid and speed recovery, she is continuing to receive aggressive nutritional support and antibiotic therapy. She is also on iron supplements to help with her anemia.

“She is receiving a bottle every three hours and gaining weight. We are pleased we have gotten her into a positive energy balance through good nutritional supply,” said Candy McMahan, Louisville Zoo Assistant Mammal Curator. “She is developing like any normal gorilla infant. She is bright and curious and even has four teeth coming in—two on top and two on bottom.”

The baby also gets visual interaction time with the other gorillas when the staff walks her around behind the scenes of Gorilla Forest. “We want her to understand she is still a gorilla,” McMahan said, “so that interaction is important.”

Mom Mia Moja and adult female Kweli are currently being housed together and male Mshindi is currently housed separately.

April 16: Late Wednesday afternoon, Gorilla Forest staff noticed that the infant gorilla was having trouble holding her head up, less able to cling onto mom and showing signs of weakness. So she was taken to the Zoo’s animal hospital.


	Gorilla baby and Keeper Michelle Wise. Photo by Kara Bussabarger/The Louisville Zoo

“The baby’s injury on April 1 presented significant challenges to the baby, including anemia and trauma,” Louisville Zoo Veterinarian Dr. Roy Burns said. “We are very fortunate baby and mom have done as well as they have in the last two weeks. However, the physiologic demands of healing were just too much for the baby to handle on her own. Since April 1, when the baby was returned to her mother, the plan has been to closely monitor them and to intervene at the first indication that the baby needed additional help.”

The Zoo’s Veterinary team has been consulting with local medical experts including a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, a lactation specialist and a neonatologist. While mom is healthy, she isn’t producing enough breast milk for the baby. Maintenance of lactation requires frequent stimulation of the breast. While the baby was nursing, she wasn’t doing it frequently enough to stimulate the mother’s breast and maintain full milk production. “The healing of the baby’s wounds depletes her energy reserves. She needs adequate nutrition in order to heal. To aid and speed recovery, she needs aggressive nutritional support and antibiotic therapy. We are working to get the baby into a positive energy balance with a good nutritional supply,” Burns said.

For now, the infant is being hand raised by staff to insure the best recovery possible. Staff is physically holding and caring for her 24 hours a day. She seems to have settled in with her keepers, is taking a bottle and is currently on antibiotics. Through tests, the Zoo’s Veterinary team also discovered that the infant is anemic (which means fewer red blood cells than normal, which is typical with significant blood loss). They are still awaiting more results to determine a treatment.

While the baby’s prognosis is good, it is still a very dynamic situation. Mom Mia Moja, adult female Kweli and male Mshindi are currently housed in separate, adjacent bedrooms.

April 9: The Louisville Zoo staff is encouraged by the progress the infant gorilla is making. She is stable, bright and alert and continuing to nurse and receive good nutrition from mom. She is also strong and nimble when clinging to mom without assistance. Her surgical sites look clean and healthy, and as each day passes, her condition and prognosis improves. Because of this improvement, the 24-hour observation is no longer indicated. Keepers will continue to maintain a close, watchful eye on mom and baby, though.

Adult female Kweli has also been reintroduced to mom Mia Moja and baby. Kweli’s presence has added comfort, support and reassurance to Mia Moja. Zoo animal managers consulted with North America’s leading gorilla behavior experts prior to the reintroduction and continue to stay in contact with them.

Male Mshindi is currently housed in a separate, adjacent bedroom where he can still see and communicate with baby, Mia Moja and Kweli.

April 5: The infant gorilla is continuing to show positive signs such as nursing, sleeping through the night and over the weekend, keepers continued a 24-hour watch over mom and baby. The group is currently housed in separate back bedrooms. But in Gorilla Forest's unique rotational set-up, they can still see and communicate with each other. Mom is taking an antibotic that is excreted through her breast milk to help ward off any infections in the infant. Keepers will maintain a watchful eye on mom and baby as the situation still remains very delicate. Further updates will only be issued if there is a change in status.

April 2: The baby gorilla suffered an injury yesterday, April 1, 2010 that resulted in the loss of part of her leg. It happened during an interaction within the family group (which consists of 21-year-old mom Mia Moja, 22-year-old father Mshindi and 27-year-old female Kweli.) "Squabbles within a gorilla group do happen," Louisville Zoo Animal Curator Steve Wing said. "Gorillas exhibit complex and dynamic relationship behaviors. It is challenging to identify the reason for this occurance. Mia Joja, Mshindi, Kewli and the baby had been together sharing the same space through the pregnancy and since the birth and doing well." The infant has been stabilized and reunited with mom (who is separated from the rest of the group.) Keepers stayed at Gorilla Forest throughout the night and are continuing to keep a watchful eye on mom and baby. Mom has been cuddling the infant and holding her close. Keepers have witnessed the baby nursing and she has been observed clinging to mom without assistance on several occasions which is a sign of vigor and vitality. But this is still a very delicate situation.

March 9: Exciting News! Today was the baby gorilla's first day outside!

February 26: It's confirmed. The baby gorilla born here at the Zoo is a girl!

February 6: A baby gorilla is born to parents Mia Moja and Mshindi. Because the baby clings so tightly to the mother, the sex has not yet been determined.

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