Procedure has been carried out on gorillas only handful of times worldwide, and is first for zoo and local gynaecologist

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

A baby western lowland gorilla has been born at a British zoo after a rare caesarean.

The female, now 11 days old, was delivered after its mother showed symptoms of potentially life-threatening pre-eclampsia.

The baby gorilla, which is yet to be named, was born at Bristol zoo weighing just over 1kg (2lb, 10oz).

It needed help from vets before it was able to breathe independently, but is now doing well and is being hand-reared round the clock by a small team of experienced gorilla keepers.

Its mother, Kera, is recovering and is being monitored closely by keepers and the zoo’s veterinary team.

It is the first time a gorilla has been born by caesarean at the zoo. There have only been a handful of gorilla births worldwide using the procedure.

John Partridge, senior curator of animals at Bristol, said the baby gorilla – whose father is Komale – was not yet on show to the public.

“The birth of any gorilla is a rare and exciting event but the birth of a baby gorilla by caesarean section is even more unusual,” he said.

“It wasn’t a decision that we took lightly. Kera was becoming quite poorly and we needed to act fast in order to give the best possible treatment to mother and baby and to avoid the possibility of losing the baby.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The team, including Prof David Cahill, carry out a caesarean on Kera, a western lowland gorilla. Photograph: Bristol zoo gardens/PA

After being assessed by the zoo’s vets, the caesarean was carried out by David Cahill, professor in reproductive medicine and medical education at the University of Bristol and a gynaecologist at St Michael’s hospital.

Despite having delivered hundreds of human babies by caesarean in his career, this was the first time Cahill had delivered a baby gorilla by this procedure.

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“Having been involved with the care of these gorillas over the years, with some trepidation and excitement, we were invited to the zoo to assess the wellbeing of Kera, because she was in late pregnancy and showed some signs of being unwell,” he said.

“Following our assessment, we considered that Kera might have pre-eclampsia, a condition that humans get, and that the only way to treat it was by delivery. We also thought that the baby in her uterus was showing signs of being very unwell and in need of delivery.

“My colleague from St Michael’s Hospital, Dr Aamna Ali, and I prepared for this extraordinary caesarean section and delivered a little girl gorilla.”

Prof Cahill added: “Along with having my own children, this is probably one of the biggest achievements of my life and something I will certainly never forget.

“I have since been back to visit Kera and the baby gorilla, it was wonderful to see them both doing so well.”

Rowena Killick, a vet at the zoo, assisted with the procedure and the immediate treatment of the baby, including performing emergency resuscitation.

“This was a very challenging operation and we are immensely grateful for the expert help we received which meant we were able to give care at the very highest level,” she said.

“The baby needed some intensive care immediately after birth and it is still very early days, but we are cautiously optimistic and will be keeping a very close eye on both her and Kera.”

Lynsey Bugg, curator of mammals at the zoo, is one of a small team of keepers providing 24-hour care for the infant.

She said: “The first few days were critical for the baby, it was vital that she was kept warm and began taking small amounts of formula milk. We started ‘skin-to-skin’ contact – a process used with human newborn babies – and she responded well to this and is getting stronger and more alert each day.”