Calaya, a female western lowland gorilla, is expecting. Primate staff are making preparations for the “highly anticipated birth,” of the infant, which should be at some point between late May and early July, the zoo announced Thursday. It’s the second go-around for 20-year-old Calaya and dad Baraka, a 30-year-old male silverback (age gap!) They’re also parents to a male gorilla named Moke, who was born in April, 2018.
Keepers believe the new baby was conceived in September 2022, following a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan that the lovebirds get busy, basically. The conception was confirmed with — get this — a “common human pregnancy test,” according to keepers. Gorillas…they’re just like us.
Breeders, the zoo’s own (more scientific) Date Lab, examine multiple aspects of the gorillas — like personality, genetic makeup, and temperament — to determine a good match. Calaya is described as “protective and cautious,” so keepers are interested to see how having a new infant to care for impacts her participation in training sessions. Dad Baraka, on the other hand, is “relaxed and playful” (like, yeah) and has been very tolerant of four-year-old Moke’s antics. As for Moke’s transitions into big brotherhood, keepers are looking forward to watching his adjustment to a new friend in the family. The baby will join the five-gorilla troop currently at the zoo; in addition to Moke, Calaya, and Baraka, 40-year-old Mandara and her 14-year-old daughter, Kibibi, also live at the Great Ape House.
“As we prepare to welcome a new western lowland gorilla to our troop, we hope this baby’s impending arrival inspires the public to care about these charismatic, intelligent and fascinating animals,” Becky Malinsky, curator of primates said in the zoo’s release. “Every new birth contributes to the conservation of this species, as they are critically endangered in the wild.”
Western lowland gorillas — native to Gabon, Central Africa Republic, Cameroon, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Congo, are critically endangered, although a significant population still exists in the swampy forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Human influence like agricultural, oil, and gas development, as well as poaching and disease have threatened their habitats and population survival. (According to the zoo, one way to help the gorilla population is to recycle your electronics. Many devices — phones, tablets, computers, and gaming consoles — contain a metal called tantalum, which is mined from areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo where gorillas live. The excavation process destroys their habitats, and leaves them vulnerable to poachers.)
Since this isn’t her first rodeo, Calaya has been amenable to ultrasounds — allowing keepers to monitor the growth and development of the gorilla fetus. There is always a chance of complications when it comes to animal births (see: pandas, whose bodies can randomly resorb the fetus), but keepers are “cautiously optimistic” that she will deliver a healthy, happy, hairy baby.
The zoo will provide updates on her pregnancy journey using the hashtag #GorillaStory on its Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Source : DCist