Gorilla baby arrives!

Louisville Zoo welcomes first gorilla baby born in North America in 2010 

Louisville Zoo’s 20-year-old western lowland gorilla Mia Moja gave birth to her second baby on Saturday, February 6. It is the first gorilla baby born in North America this year and the second gorilla ever born in the Zoo’s 41-year history. (The first was male Azizi born to Makari on December 4, 2003, a year after Gorilla Forest opened in May of 2002.)

Staff noticed around 12:16 p.m. on February 6 that Mia Moja was having contractions and her water had broken. At 1:57 p.m. the baby arrived. Since the baby is clinging so tightly to its mom, the gender can’t yet be determined.

“We are very excited as you can imagine,” Louisville Zoo Director John Walczak said. “Mom and baby are doing great and appear to be very healthy.”

“It’s terrific to welcome a new resident to our expanding Gorilla Forest,” Mayor Jerry Abramson said. “The birth of a precious, endangered species is an extraordinary event and certainly reason to celebrate. It’s not only important for the Zoo’s mission, the new baby gorilla will add excitement for visitors of all ages.”

The father is 22-year-old silverback Mshindi. It is Mshindi’s first offspring and Mia Moja’s second. She proved herself a good mother with the birth and subsequent raising of Olympia, who was born in 1996 at Zoo Atlanta and still resides there.

“It’s amazing,” Gorilla Forest Keeper Michelle Wise said. “Mia Moja’s been holding the baby and tenderly stroking it on the head. She is a great mom. The night the baby was born, she made a big fluffy nest out of hay and a soft, pink blanket and settled herself and the baby into it.”

Since there are only 353 western lowland gorillas in 52 zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, each birth is a celebration of life and a step toward preserving the species.

“This birth is significant and rare,” Walczak said, “Gorilla births at accredited zoos are important. Every day more and more habitat for wild animals is lost due to pressures from human overpopulation, habitat destruction and poaching. This remarkable baby will help engage and inspire our visitors about conservation, which is at the core of our mission of bettering the bond between people and our planet.”

Western lowland gorillas are a critically endangered species and the wild population has declined rapidly over the past decade. According to the World Wildlife Fund, there are approximately 100,000 western lowland gorillas in the wild. However, there is no truly accurate census as these elusive apes inhabit some of Africa’s densest and most remote rainforests.

Mia Moja became pregnant as part of a recommendation from the Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP), a collaborative effort of North American zoos designed to encourage a healthy gorilla population in captivity and to ensure that the population remains viable, genetically-diverse and self-sustaining.

Female western lowland gorilla Kweli (pronounced “quay lee”) is also housed with the baby, Mia Moja and Mshindi. She arrived at the Louisville Zoo in 2008 from Cincinnati.

A naming contest for the baby is planned and details will be announced at a later date.

This birth brings the total gorilla population at the Louisville Zoo to 12. For more information on the Louisville Zoo’s gorillas in Gorilla Forest, visit www.louisvillezoo.org/collection/exhibits/gforest/gf-meet.htm.

Even during cold weather, visitors can view the gorillas inside Gorilla Forest’s comfortable, climate-controlled sanctuary. But note, in Gorilla Forest the animals rotate through the exhibit spaces on a daily basis so baby, mom Mia Moja, father Mshindi and Kweli will not always be visible.

The Zoo is operating on its winter schedule. You can enter the Zoo daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (exit by 5 p.m.) For more information, visit www.louisvillezoo.org.  

GORILLA BIRTH INFORMATION

• A gorilla’s gestation period is about 8 ½ months

• Labor can range anywhere from 20 minutes to 2.5 hours

• Gorilla babies usually weigh at least 4 pounds and are about the size of human babies

• Nursing usually occurs in the first 24 hours

• The baby will begin eating solids at 2 months of age

• The mother may first put her baby down for extended times at 3 months of age

• The baby may begin weaning as early as 4 months of age

• A baby begins to crawl away from mom and starts exploring at 4-5 months of age

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The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

Photos by Kara Bussabarger, Louisville Zoo

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Get up-to-date information about the Zoo’s upcoming Glacier Run exhibit by checking out our new Glacier Run blog. You can also show your love for the Louisville Zoo by becoming a fan on Facebook.

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