First surviving gorilla born by caesarean at Bristol Zoo
A baby girl gorilla was delivered at Bristol Zoo Gardens weighing 2lb 10 oz (1Kg), after her mother Kera, showed symptoms of Pre-eclampsia – a life threatening condition, by caesarean section on 12th February 2016, by Dr Amina Ali, Gynaecologist Professor Cahil from local NHS maternity hospital and Nick Hayward of veterinary Diagnostic Imaging Ltd, who provided emergency ultrasound scanning of Kera. This is the third time baby gorilla has been born by caesarean section in UK, but first time infant has survived and there are only ten born this way in the world.
Professor David Cahil of Bristol University said: “Along with having my own children, this is probably one of the biggest achievements of my life and something I will certainly never forget.”
She needed help from vets before she was able to breathe independently, but now is doing well, being hand-rared round the clock by a small team of experienced gorilla keepers.
Rowena Killick who assisted with the procedure and the immediate treatment of the baby, including performing emergency resuscitation said: “This was a very challenging operation and we are immensely grateful for the expert help we received which meant we are able to give the very best care at the highest level. The baby needed some intensive care immediately after birth and is still very early days, but we are cautiously optimistic and will be keeping a very close eye on both baby and Kera.”