A BABY GORILLA has been successfully delivered after a rare Caesarean section at Bristol Zoo in England.
The mother, Kera, was showing symptoms of potentially life-threatening pre-eclampsia.
After being assessed by the zoo’s team of in-house vets, treatment was provided by a gynaecologist, Professor David Cahill.
Speaking to BBC News, Cahill explained the process:
I’ve done lots of Caesarean sections over the years and I read a little bit about the anatomy of a gorilla that morning.
“The tissues are very much the same and the various layers of muscle and other strong tissues you have to cut through to get in are just like [a human]. The womb is just the same. The whole thing was weirdly familiar, but very strange.”
https://www.facebook.com/BristolZooGardens/videos/vb.91893721871/10153512541166872/?type=2&theater
John Partridge, senior curator of animals at the zoo, explained the significance of the event, stating: “The birth of any gorilla is a rare and exciting event, but the birth of a baby gorilla by caesarean section is even more unusual.
It wasn’t a decision that we took lightly – Kera was becoming quite poorly and we needed to act fast in order to give the best possible treatment to mother and baby, and to avoid the possibility of losing the baby.
The baby, who has yet to be named, needed help from vets before she was able to breathe independently, but is now doing well and being hand-reared by a small team of experienced gorilla keepers. She was born on 12 February, but details of the birth were just made public today.
Kera was asleep during the procedure. She is now recovering and being monitored closely by keepers.
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