Photos taken at a Boston zoo show an adorable little gorilla that was born to a 39-year-old mother via C-section.
According to the reports, the little gorilla from Franklin Park Zoo, which is operated by New England Zoo, became the first male of his species to be born at the Boston zoo.
As the officials confirmed, the baby gorilla was born healthy at 6 pounds and 3 ounces, which is above the average for newborn western lowland gorillas, even though his mother had been suffering from bleeding during her pregnancy.
Following a C-section, the baby gorilla and his mother, Kiki, were briefly separated to undergo a health check. On the next day, however, the pair has already been reunited.
As the zoo officials confirmed, the pair will now have the chance to bond and will remain off the exhibit while they recover.
According to Fox 5 DC, New England Zoo veterinarians found out that Kiki had placenta previa just days before her due date.
“For the health of mom and baby, it was imperative to quickly diagnose Kiki’s condition and perform a C-section before she went into labor on her own,” Dr. Eric Baitchman of New England Zoo explained.
“We were fortunate to quickly mobilize an amazing team with our colleagues at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.”
As the New England Zoo’s Vice President of Animal Health and Conservation added, the successful delivery was a result of a team effort.
“This was truly a team effort, and we are relieved and happy that the surgery went smoothly and that mom and baby are both safe and healthy,” Dr. Baitchman said.
According to the zoo, Kiki and her newborn son have already forged a strong bond whereas the 39-year-old mother is “very attentive” to the baby gorilla.
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