London Zoo has welcomed a critically endangered western lowland gorilla infant following a landmark birth.
Mjukuu gave birth to the tiny infant at the conservation zoo after 17-minutes of labour.
The new western lowland gorilla was born at 9.34am on January 17 following an eight-and-a-half-month pregnancy.
Zookeepers were aware Mjukuu was in labour during standard morning dates.
Mjukuu holding her newborn
LONDON ZOO
Staff continued to monitor the western lowland gorilla infant via CCTV cameras installed in the dens.
Mjukuu, a second-time mother, was snapped gently cradling her newborn.
Kiburi, who arrived at London Zoo from Tenerife in November 2022, fathered the new arrival.
London Zoo's Primates Section Manager Kathryn Sanders said: “We started our day as normal – we gave the gorillas their breakfast and began our cleaning routines.
“When we returned to their back dens, we could see Mjukuu was starting to stretch and squat – a sign that she was in labour.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The sex of the infant has yet to be confirmed
LONDON ZOO
“After a very quick labour – just 17 minutes – Mjukuu was spotted on camera tenderly holding her newborn and demonstrating her wonderful mothering instincts – cleaning her infant and checking it over.”
She added: “To say we’re happy about this new arrival would be a huge understatement – we’ve all been walking around grinning from ear to ear.
“We’ll be giving mum and baby lots of time and space to get to know each other, and for the rest of the troop to get used to their new addition – they’re as excited as we are and can’t stop staring at the baby.”
The newborn western lowland gorilla, who zookeepers are yet to confirm the sex of, will remain in close contact with its mother for around the first six months of its life.
Kiburi, who arrived at London Zoo from Tenerife in November 2022, fathered the new arrival
LONDON ZOO
London Zoo is elated with the recent birth as it proves a landmark moment for the critically endangered subspecies.
Western lowland gorilla have been noted as critically endangered as a result of poaching and disease.
The situation resulted in their wild numbers declining by more than 60 per cent over the last 25 years.
The primate, which counts forest areas as its natural habitat, is native to Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Congo and Equatorial Guinea.