Bristol Zoo welcomes newborn gorilla to its troop
Zoo keepers arrived at Bristol Zoo to find a baby gorilla nestling in its mothers arms after being born in the middle of the night.
Nine-year-old Kala gave birth naturally in the early hours of Wednesday 19 August 2020 with the dad, Jock, just a few metres away.
The rest of the six gorilla family were nearby.
Kala came to Bristol Zoo in 2018 from Germany.
The new birth is great news for the team at the zoo who are running a breeding programme to help safeguard the future of western lowland gorillas.
Visitors will hopefully be able to catch a glimpse of the new gorilla as they pass through the Gorilla House.
Keepers say that Kala and the new baby are doing really well.
Lynsey Bugg, Curator of Mammals at Bristol Zoo, said, “We are all thrilled. There is something very special about seeing a new-born baby gorilla, they are such an iconic and charismatic species.
"She is being very attentive and taking good care of her baby.
"It’s very early days but we are cautiously optimistic.
"The early signs are good and the baby looks to be a good size and is strong.”