The Louisville Zoo is going to have a Gorilla Baby!

This will be the second gorilla ever born at the Zoo

The Louisville Zoo has received a great gift before the holidays.

Pregnancy tests have confirmed that 20-year-old western lowland gorilla Mia Moja is pregnant and is expected to give birth by late March.

The father is 22-year-old silverback Mshindi. It will be Mshindi’s first offspring and Mia Moja’s second. She proved herself a good mother with the birth and subsequent raising of Olympia, who was born in 1996 and resides at Zoo Atlanta.

This will be the second gorilla ever born at the Louisville Zoo. The first was male Azizi born on December 4, 2003, a year after Gorilla Forest opened in May of 2002.

“This is significant news,” Louisville Zoo Director John Walczak said. “The western lowland gorilla is a critically endangered species and the wild population has declined rapidly over the past decade. This baby will help engage and inspire our visitors about conservation, which is at the core of our Zoo’s mission of bettering the bond between people and our planet. We are very excited for the community and our staff. This pregnancy is evidence of the dedication of our staff as well as a validation of Gorilla Forest’s unique, award-winning exhibit design which replicates natural habitats and is conducive to reproduction.”

This pregnancy came as part of a recommendation from the Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP), a collaborative effort of North American zoos designed to encourage a healthy gorilla population in captivity to ensure that the population remains genetically-diverse and self-sustaining.

Since there are only 353 western lowland gorillas in 52 zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, each birth is a celebration of life and a step toward preserving the species.

According to the World Wildlife Foundation, there are approximately 100,000 western lowland gorillas in the wild. However, there is no truly accurate census as these elusive apes inhabit some of Africa’s densest and most remote rainforests.

The Zoo’s gorilla staff and veterinary team continue to keep a close eye on Mia Moja.

“While there is risk with any pregnancy, we are watching and monitoring Mia Moja closely to make sure her activity level stays up and she continues to eat and take her prenatal vitamins,” said Louisville Zoo General Curator Steve Wing. “We want to make sure she is strong and healthy and that this will be a successful pregnancy and birth.”

Female western lowland gorilla Kweli (pronounced “quay lee”) is also housed with Mia Moja and Mshindi. She arrived at the Louisville Zoo in 2008 from Cincinnati. She has mothered three offspring—12-year-old blackback Kicho who also resides in Louisville Zoo’s Gorilla Forest, one offspring at the Pittsburgh Zoo and one at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo.

For more information on all 11 gorillas in Gorilla Forest, visit www.louisvillezoo.org/collection/exhibits/gforest/gf-meet.htm.

Even during cold weather, visitors can view the gorillas inside Gorilla Forest’s comfortable, climate-controlled sanctuary. But note, in Gorilla Forest, the animals rotate through the exhibit spaces on a daily basis so Mia Moja, Mshindi and Kweli will not always be visible.

The Zoo is operating on its winter schedule. You can enter the Zoo daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (exit by 5 p.m.) For more information, visit www.louisvillezoo.org.

GORILLA BIRTH INFORMATION

• A gorilla’s gestation period is about nine months, the same as a human’s

• Labor can range anywhere from 20 minutes to 2.5 hours

• Gorilla babies usually weigh at least 4 pounds and are about the size of human babies

• Nursing usually occurs in first 24 hours

• The baby will begin eating solids at 2 months of age

• The mother may first put her baby down for extended times at 3 months of age

• The baby may begin weaning as early as 4 months of age

• A baby begins to crawl around away from mom and exploring at 4-5 months of age

 

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The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). For more information, visit louisvillezoo.org.

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