CALGARY – The Calgary Zoo announced on Tuesday that one of its gorillas is pregnant and expecting her first offspring.
Officials said 14-year-old Kioja is expected to give birth in early March.
“We are excited for this new addition to our gorilla troop as a baby is the best enrichment for the group,” curator Dr. Malu Celli said in a news release “In the wild, gorillas are critically endangered and by adding another member to our troop we are continuing to ensure there is genetic diversity within captive populations and safeguard the long-term future of this species.”
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As this is the first offspring for Kioja, the zoo said their gorilla team has been working with her to help prepare for the birth.
“This includes specialized training, conducting regular ultrasounds, behavioural analysis and close monitoring by the zoo’s veterinary staff,” explained the zoo in a news release.
Normal gestation for gorillas is about eight to nine months or 37 weeks, much the same as a human pregnancy.
The baby was sired by 37-year-old silverback Kakinga who has fathered nine other offspring since 1993. Seven are still alive, and all were born at the Calgary Zoo.
WATCH: The Calgary Zoo has announced that its 14-year-old gorilla, Kioja, is pregnant.
The last gorilla pregnancy at the Calgary Zoo was in 2008, when Yewande was born into the zoo’s gorilla troop.
The gang consists of silverback leader Kakinga, 37, and females Zuri, 18, Dossi, 14, Kioja, 14 and Yewande, 7.
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