Baby gorilla born at Bristol Zoo Gardens
Watch baby's first public appearance
A baby gorilla has been born at Bristol Zoo Gardens, the second in less than six months.
The western lowland gorilla arrived in the early hours of Tuesday 22 December.
Mum Touni gave birth naturally overnight in the Gorilla House, which is at the heart of the 185-year-old zoo.
The baby gorilla's dad, Jock, was nearby when the little one was born - alongside the rest of the family troop.
Bristol Zoo said keepers arrived in the morning to find Touni cradling the healthy baby in her arms.
It is 13-year-old Touni’s second baby. In April 2017 she gave birth to Ayana, who still lives at the Zoo.
The new infant was born just four months after another gorilla, 10-year-old Kala, gave birth to Hasani.
Hasani is being hand-reared by keepers after Kala struggled to care for him.
Head of Animal Collections Nigel Simpson said: “It is simply wonderful to see a new-born gorilla, they are so charismatic and such an iconic species.”
The zoo says the birth will help to safeguard the future of western lowland gorillas, which are critically endangered in the wild.
Nigel said: “Touni is an excellent mother and she is taking very good care of her baby. All the early signs are positive and the baby looks to be strong and healthy. We will be keeping a very close eye on both mother and baby as these early hours and days are so important.
“This is also great news for Bristol Zoological Society, which operates both Bristol Zoo Gardens and Wild Place Project, as we are part of an internationally important breeding and conservation programme.”
The new gorilla joins the troop of seven others here at the Zoo, which are part of a breeding programme to help safeguard the future of western lowland gorillas.
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