DUBLIN, Ireland (WSVN) — The Dublin Zoo has announced the birth of the newest member of their family, a baby western lowland gorilla.
Photos taken at the zoo show first-time mom Kafi holding her baby and smiling as she looks down at the newborn.
The zoo said Kafi has already developed an attachment to her baby and has been keeping the little one close to her chest.
The zoo has been unable to find out the sex of the gorilla due to Kafi keeping the baby close at all times.
“Kafi is doing a fantastic job so far as a first-time mother, keeping the young baby physically close in these crucial early stages,” said Helen Clarke-Bennett, the team leader of the African Plains exhibit at the zoo. “Kafi seems comfortable and at ease, and we expect her to mix with the rest of the gorilla troop very soon.”
The zoo also said that the baby’s father, a silverback gorilla named Bangui, is proving to be an attentive father and has been sleeping close to Kafi and the baby.
Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered. According to the zoo, the number of the animals living in the wild are expected to fall by over 80% by 2046. The main three threats to the species are deforestation, commercial hunting and ebola.
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