At a time when the Calgary Zoo mourns the loss of 40 stingrays, a glimmer of hope came in the form of a beautiful baby gorilla, born to mom Zuri early yesterday morning.
“We could not be more pleased with the way things are going in this initial phase. Zuri and her newborn are doing very well,” zookeeper Garth Irvine said.
The gorilla team is optimistic the newest arrival will do well after Zuri’s first born in 2006 died after 12 days. Lack of stature in the troop is believed to have hampered Zuri’s ability to care for her first baby, and the mothering was eventually taken over by Tabitha, another female gorilla in the troop.
Zookeeper Les Stegenga said they have been working with Zuri the past few months preparing her for motherhood.
“The troop dynamics have changed drastically since the last birth two years ago and Zuri is now the most dominant female in the group,” Stegenga said.
